108 Horticulture Today
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Farmers markets were once prevalent across the country, but they lost
popularity as convenience, big box, and chain grocers gained acceptance.
Farmers markets are fi nding their place again as a key food supplier in city
squares and parking lots across the country.
When visiting a farmers market, you have the opportunity to speak
to growers and distributors that know where, how, and when the produce
was cultivated and harvested. The seller can provide information about the
produce that most grocers cannot.
Purchasing produce from a farmers market gives you the power to better
control the nutritional content of the food you consume. Produce purchased
from a local grower has not been shipped or been in storage for as long as
most of the produce at other supermarkets.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Another venue for purchasing locally grown food is through community
supported agriculture (CSA). CSA is a farming practice in which people
pay in advance for shares of produce that is delivered at harvest. This
arrangement has been a popular way to buy locally grown food for years. A
farmer sells “shares” to the public that represent boxes of seasonal vegetables
and fruit that are delivered or can be picked up at a location on a schedule.
CSA plans are benefi cial to both the farmer and the CSA plan members.
The grower is given the opportunity to develop relationships with buyers,
educate them about the produce and growing methods, and spend less time
marketing the food. The members eat fresh and nutritious food, know the
cultivation practices used, may get to visit the farm, and are exposed to new
types of produce and recipes.
The farmers and the members are both invested in the CSA and the farm
and recognize the benefi ts as well as the risks involved. Members pay for
their shares up front. If there is a drought or an infestation of pests and there
are slim harvests, the farmer does not reimburse its members for the cost of
the shares they purchased. In this way, CSAs are a type of crop insurance for
farmers.
Did You Know?
CSA farms are usually
family-operated, range
from 3 to 300 acres,
and deliver food for
10 to more than 200
households. CSA farms
are highly diversified and
usually grow more than
40 different vegetables,
herbs, and fruits.
Thinking Green
Market Baskets
©iStock.com/ernstboese
Taking a basket or reusable bag
to the farmers market is a good idea.
You will be able to carry produce
without damaging or bruising it,
and you will not be adding another
plastic or paper bag to a landfill.
How many plastic bags does your
family acquire from a month’s
grocery shopping?
Corner Question
How many farmers
markets are in the
United States?