10 Farmers Market Shopping Tips

1. Arrive early to get the best of the best before it is picked over.

2. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes. The markets are usually outside so dress for the weather. If it is a sunny day- bring a hat.

3. Bring tote bags or your recycled bags to carry home your food.

4. Come with a list of seasonal items that you want to purchase.

5. Eat before you go to the farmers market to avoid over spending. Shopping while you are hungry is a sure fire way to buy extras since EVERYTHING looks so yummy!

6. Get to know the farmers-establish a relationship.

7. If you want to try something new but are hesitant, ask for a sample. Many of the growers have some of their fresh fruit or veggies cut up so you can try them.

8. See if you can get a group of people together to "order" at the same time. For example if you have 4 families and you need 20lbs of carrots you may be able to negotiate a better price than someone purchasing only 1 lb of carrots.

9. Talk to the grower if you are not sure how to prepare a particular food, they can usually help.

10. Have fun, relax and enjoy the day.