How to Use Farmer’s Markets to Eat Like Royalty on a Budget

When it comes to food, nothing tastes better than fresh.

Yet most of us rarely eat truly fresh food. We might buy something at the grocery store that’s traveled in a truck for days before reaching us. Or, we might pay for a meal in a high-end restaurant, without knowing when the food we’re eating arrived.

The fresher the food, the more it’s teeming with life and vital nutrients. The better it tastes. And the better you’ll feel. Best of all, if you know what you’re doing, this food can also be the cheapest.

The secret is to know how to take advantage of your local Farmer’s Market. So read on to learn a few tricks that will help you pay less than grocery store prices for produce better than high-end restaurants! 

Adopt a Flexible Cooking Style

One key to save at a Farmer’s Market is developing meals on the fly. For example, you may want to make a nice, fresh salad. So you go to the market. Romaine lettuce is just as much as the grocery. But you find a vendor selling Kale for a very good price. As you continue shopping, you find more deals on cheese and mushrooms.

When you finally leave the Farmer’s Market, you have all the ingredients for an incredible salad. It’s all in season and fresh as can be. If you are flexible enough at cooking to make a meal on the fly, not only will you save money, you’ll create unique, delicious meals that you’d normally never think of!

Ask the Vendor’s Questions

In a Farmer’s Market, vendors will often return for an entire season. Don’t be afraid to get to know them. Asking them what’s for sale or what’s in season is not just a way to save, but the potential start of a new relationship.

When you find a fair vendor, you can return every week for similar prices. The better you know them, the more they’ll clue you on to special deals. If you know them well enough, they may even give you a special price!

Know the Peak Season for Your Favorite Fruits + Veggies

You probably know that different fruits and veggies are “in season” at certain times of the year. When they’re in season, not only is the price lower, the food is as fresh as it’s ever going to get.

What you might know is that the price can change during the season. This is because most farmers want to be either the first or last person selling that food. If they’re the first-person selling Strawberries, they can set the price. If they have to compete with 50 other farmers, the market sets the price.

That’s why you’ll find the best deals during peak season. This is when every farmer is selling the same veggie.

The best way to find what veggies are in season in your area is to use a free tool provided by Seasonal Food Guide: https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/

Run this tool before you go to the market. Then, only buy items that you see multiple vendors selling it. This means the produce is in peak season and will be the freshest—and cheapest.

Ask for “Ugly” Produce

Customers prefer their produce to look good. We want the crisp, clean apple over the bruised, malformed one. Yet the truth is, in most cases, ugly produce is just as delicious, if not more so, than pretty.

So when you’re shopping, you can specifically ask the vendor if they have uglier produce on sale for a discount. Take it home and cut off the bruises. I promise – it will taste just as fresh and delicious. And your bank account will love how little you paid for it!

Go on Bad Weather Days

When the weather is warm and sunny, everyone is out at the market. Vendors have plenty of customers. So they are much less likely to make a deal with you.

If you go when it’s raining, on the other hand, you might be uncomfortable, yet you’ll be one of the few customers there. If you’re shopping at a stall with a lot of goods and very few customers, don’t be afraid to ask for a deal. In most cases, the vendor would rather make less money than no money. And you can walk away from the market with tons of fresh goods.

Stay Until the End

At the end of the Farmer’s Market, vendors still want to make money. However, by this time most of the customers have left. This is the perfect time to go around asking for any last-minute specials. More often than not, vendors will be willing to give you a deal since you’re the last one around spending money.

Buy in Bulk

As a general rule, when you buy in bulk, you can save. This is even more true at Farmer’s Markets, where a vendor may be unsure if they will sell out of all their stock. If you have an extra freezer, this is the perfect way to stock up on delicious produce for a whole month or longer.

It’s a good idea to do this once you’ve visited the market a few times. By then you’ll know the vendors better. And you’ll know who is likely to give you the best price.

Best Wishes,

The Vipon Team

39 responses to “How to Use Farmer’s Markets to Eat Like Royalty on a Budget

  1. Usually I do not read article on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very pressured me to check out and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thank you, very nice post.

  2. I must thank you for the efforts you have put in penning
    this site. I’m hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts
    by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has encouraged me to get my own, personal site now 😉

  3. What’s up every one, here every one is sharing these
    experience, therefore it’s good to read this webpage,
    and I used to pay a quick visit this webpage every day.

  4. My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different website
    and thought I might check things out. I like what I see so now i’m
    following you. Look forward to looking over your web page
    yet again.

  5. Its such as you learn my thoughts! You appear to know so
    much about this, like you wrote the e-book in it
    or something. I feel that you can do with some % to power the message house a little bit, however instead of that, this is
    magnificent blog. A great read. I’ll definitely be back.

  6. Every weekend i used to go to see this web page, as i wish
    for enjoyment, as this this website conations in fact good funny material too.

  7. Hi! I know this is somewhat off topic but I was wondering which blog platform are
    you using for this site? I’m getting tired of WordPress because I’ve had problems with
    hackers and I’m looking at options for another platform.
    I would be awesome if you could point me in the direction of
    a good platform.

  8. You really make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this matter to be actually something that I think I would never understand.

    It seems too complex and very broad for me. I’m looking forward for your next post,
    I will try to get the hang of it!

  9. I’m really impressed with your writing skills and also with
    the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
    Either way keep up the nice quality writing,
    it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.

  10. Hello I am so happy I found your blog, I really found you by accident, while I was researching on Google for something else, Regardless I am here now and would just like to say thanks for
    a marvelous post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t
    have time to go through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also
    added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read
    more, Please do keep up the awesome job.

  11. Hola! I’ve been reading your web site for a long
    time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a
    shout out from Atascocita Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up the excellent work!

  12. I simply want to say I’m very new to blogging and site-building and actually enjoyed this web site. Probably I’m going to bookmark your site . You amazingly have great articles and reviews. Bless you for sharing with us your blog.

  13. Thanks , I have just been looking for information approximately this topic for a long time and yours is the greatest I’ve discovered so far. But, what concerning the bottom line? Are you sure concerning the supply?

  14. Thanks for the marvelous posting! I truly enjoyed reading it, you are a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will often come back at some point. I want to encourage yourself to continue your great posts, have a nice morning!

  15. I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is tasteful, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come further formerly again as exactly the same nearly a lot often inside case you shield this increase.

  16. One other important issue is that if you are an older person, travel insurance regarding pensioners is something you ought to really look at. The mature you are, greater at risk you happen to be for permitting something awful happen to you while in another country. If you are not really covered by several comprehensive insurance, you could have many serious challenges. Thanks for expressing your guidelines on this blog site.

  17. Awsome article and straight to the point. I don’t know if this is really the best place to ask but do you guys have any thoughts on where to employ some professional writers? Thanks 🙂

  18. Do you mind if I quote a few of your articles as long as I provide credit and sources back to your blog? My blog site is in the very same area of interest as yours and my visitors would certainly benefit from a lot of the information you present here. Please let me know if this alright with you. Cheers!

  19. Hey there are using WordPress for your site platform? I’m new to the blog world but I’m trying to get started and create my own. Do you need any html coding knowledge to make your own blog? Any help would be really appreciated!

  20. The Jean-Talon Market  is one of North America s largest farmers markets and features the most extensive selection of produce and homemade goods in the city. You can eat like royalty in your  hotel room  after a few visits to Marche Jean-Talon. One trip to this local market simply isn t enough—you ll discover more each time you go.

  21. I’ll right away seize your rss feed as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription hyperlink or e-newsletter service. Do you have any? Kindly permit me know in order that I may subscribe. Thanks.

  22. Hello,
    In teaching, teachers make easy learner learning, often in a school or college or perhaps in one more spot such as outdoors. A teacher who teaches on a person basis may be explained as a tutor.
    The object is on average skillful through either an easy or formal come near to learning, as well as a course of learns and lesson plan that teaches skills, knowledge and/or thinking skills. Out of the average ways to teach are often referred. When choose what teaching methods to use teachers think learner’s background knowledge, setting, and their learning goals as well as even set of courses as gritty by the linked say-so. The teacher should also be able to deal with learner with unlike skills and should also be able to deal with learning problems. Many times, teachers assist in learning outside of the classroom by add-on learners on field trips. The growing use of skill, the rise of the web over the past decade has begun to shape the way teachers come up to their role in the classroom. Work of the teacher is to teach the child, teaching him all moral values bringing him a good voter. teaching is noble job as main job of the teacher is not only taming the child but also shaping his makeup, bringing out the real likely of a learner, proper him at any time he makes mistakes, rising his class, teaching the art of problem solving etc
    The aim is more often than not a course of learn, lesson plan, or a useful skill, as well as learning and thinking skills. When settle on what teaching method to use, a teacher will need to think learners background knowledge, setting, and their learning ideas. A teacher may follow even set of courses as firm by the vital right. The teacher may work with learners of unlike ages, from infants to adults, learners with unique skills and learners with learning problems. I think it is a very worthwhile jobs but also not an easy one! Teachers can make a huge gap to children’s lives and also have the skill to change them. Thank you!

  23. The Jean-Talon Market  is one of North America s largest farmers markets and features the most extensive selection of produce and homemade goods in the city. You can eat like royalty in your  hotel room  after a few visits to Marche Jean-Talon. One trip to this local market simply isn t enough—you ll discover more each time you go.

  24. I just want to mention I am just new to blogs and absolutely savored your web page. Likely I’m likely to bookmark your site . You certainly have remarkable articles and reviews. Kudos for sharing your website page.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *