Why We Should All Shop at Farmers Markets
September 21, 2021
Before I became a research and development chef, I worked as a farmer for many years. In addition to cultivating produce, connecting with other people about food is how I fell in love with cooking. There are few places on earth better to connect with others about what and how we eat than a farmers market.
Here are just a few of the many reasons to stop at your local farmers market.
Say Goodbye to the Middleman
Farmers markets are a critical part of the food economy. They offer the opportunity for farmers and artisans to sell product direct to the consumer without a middleman or high upfront costs (like a brick and mortar store). This means that money from those direct sales go right back to the producer, making food production more profitable.
Discover the Wonders of Seasonal & Local Food
The food purchased at farmers markets is seasonal and has traveled a shorter distance than most of our food. Most food travels over 1,500 miles to land on a dinner plate!1
Shopping local and in season helps to cut down on consumption of fossil fuels and puts money directly into the local economy. Seasonal food availability varies by location, and shopping in season at markets means you can discover flavors and food native or associated to the area.
I live in Chicago, and here we have a wonderful, seemingly tropical fruit called pawpaw. Pawpaw is a custard apple native to Illinois—it has a rich and creamy inside that tastes similar to mangos and bananas. Before I was growing and selling produce, I had never heard of such a thing, but now it’s at the top of my list of favorites!
Deepen Your Connections
Another reason to shop at farmers markets is because it drives connection between people through food. Chatting with fellow shoppers or farmers has helped me be more creative in the kitchen. I’ve created lifetime friendships with others because of a shared love for a certain kind of produce (like Long Island cheese pumpkins) or because of a shared sadness when a favorite peach producer lost all of her donut peaches to an early frost.
Farmers markets offer the opportunity to engage with food and community in a unique way. While they can seem intimidating at first, I challenge you to go and chat with a farmer, learn what is in season, ask what their favorite thing to eat that they grow. I can guarantee you will leave with a brain full of fun food ideas, a basket heavy with produce and a deeper sense of connection to your food.
1. CUESA, "How Far Does Your Food Travel to Get to Your Plate?", retrieved from https://cuesa.org/learn/how-far-does-your-food-travel-get-your-plate
Renée Howarth
Senior Research & Development Chef
March 1st, 2023 We’re thrilled to introduce the newest addition to our culinary family: Chef Steve Madonna. Formally trained in both Italy and the United States, as well as having worked for Wolfgang Puck, Chef Steve brings an extensive set of connections and culinary knowledge to our already stacked chef roster. Featured in this month’s issue is one of Chef Steve’s favorite recipes for making memories at home with your loved ones.
October 19, 2022 Pumpkin pie is a nostalgic menu item and my personal favorite when it comes to fall and winter menus, as it goes hand in hand with a traditional Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. We elevate the nostalgia by turning this must-have holiday dish into a clarified cocktail that leaves your taste buds as curious as your eyes. We get adventurous as we replace expected visual elements with an ice-cold glass of clarified liquors infused with pumpkin pie. This cocktail defies all visual expectations, while leaving your sense of smell and taste immersed in a seasonally nostalgic experience.
October 19, 2022 Canada is well known for many things. Hockey, snow, maple syrup, and a few other stereotypical but somewhat accurate concepts may immediately come to mind. What you may not know, though, is how invested we are in the snacks that we consume. Compared to the U.S., sure, we are no match for the quantity and variety offered in the land of the free, home of the snacks. However, what we know in our hearts is that Canada has a long-standing, tried-and-true, flawed, yet beloved top-notch snack game. I’m talking about comfort foods that have become so integrated and so established that they are classified as cult-favourites—and no, I did not spell favourites incorrectly. You are about to see a lot more of the letter “U” in this article. Sorry! The great Canadian snack game is easy enough to understand. You think of a flavour and either slap it on a potato or pair it with chocolate. Snacking has always been a huge part of Canadian food culture, but it is only going up from here. To put it lightly, the past few years have been tough on everyone around the world, and Canadians have chosen to increase their spending on snacks by 67% as an indulgence or, personally, as a coping mechanism. In no way, shape, or form am I claiming to be a culinary expert somehow employed in the field of Finance, but I have eaten a lot in my life and right now, I’m the best and/or only Canadian guide you’ve got. Let’s get into the details:
