Farmer’s market season is coming up. I’m excited, aren’t you? Supporting your local farmers and economy, helping reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere, consuming less processed foods, building a personal relationship with your farmers, and eating really tasty food; these are only a few of the benefits to shopping your local farmer’s market this spring through fall. Let’s explore some of the spring and early summer produce you’ll find at your local farmer’s markets, shopping tips, and ways to keep your produce longer:
What’s in Season During Spring/Early Summer:
Below are some of the top available produce at the Wisconsin farmer’s markets during this time and the full list of Wisconsin produce and their availability times
- Asparagus
- Cucumbers
- Parsnips
- Radishes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Strawberries
Shopping Tips:
- Go Early or Go Late: Arrive early to get the variety of produce OR go late to receive any deals due to farmers wanting to sell their extra produce before they leave
- BYOB (& C): Bring Your Own Bag (& Change) since many times farmers won’t have extra bags or enough, along with enough change to break big bills. Farmers likely won’t be able to charge your credit card either.
- Be Flexible: Your favorite fruit might not have flourished this year and so you might have to try a new one.
- Bulk is Best: Just like at Walmart (kind of) the more you buy, the cheaper your cost.
- Bring a Cooler (preferably a rolling one): This way your food will stay fresh and you won’t have to carry around a bulky bag instead.
- Ask the Farmer: Ask about how to prepare, cook, and what this food is best in. Your local farmer knows their produce best
- Shop by the Food Groups: Just like at the grocery store, organize your list into categories and it will make it easier to shop at the farmer’s market too. Keep your focus on the nutritious stuff!
Store & Explore
Keep your waste-able produce for later by freezing (likely the easiest method), canning, or drying! Explore a new recipe to add leftover produce into. Some examples could include: soups, sautéed veggies for an omelet, zucchini bread, or salad topped with veggies.
Menomonie’s Farmer’s Market:
Check out our local farmer’s market, just click the picture below!