The significance of Farmers' Markets?

Question

I've recently been going to my local farmers' market and I'm loving the fresh food and friendly people, even though its just a tad bit more pricey than the store. I was just wondering, what exactly are the other pluses of Farmers Markets? Is it economical? Or is it just nice to support your local farmers? Just wondering what this seemingly new fad is all about. :D

Answer 1

"Think globally, act locally" has something to do with it.  Many of the smaller farmers are "organic," and their produce doesn't have to be trucked as far as a similar product from, say, Bolivia.  So, there are environmental impacts.  

The food can also be picked closer to the time it is actually ripe.  A lot of the produce that is shipped in, like bananas, is picked unripe and either allowed to ripen as it travels, or some of them are treated with chemical gasses to get them to ripen.  That's why you shouldn't store bananas next to other fruits.  So, there are nutritional benefits.

The produce may be more expensive, but you are keeping the money in your local economy, instead of sending it to Bolivia, in my example.  So maybe the local farmer will use the money to come buy the product you're selling.

Answer 2

A well run farmers market can have a rather large positive impact on the local economy.

The market brings traffic into that will in all likelihood shop at other stores in the area

Spending money with locally owned businesses (farmers in this case) keeps 80% of the money spent in the local area, thus strengthening the local economy. spending money at a large chain means 70% of the money LEAVES the local area.

This is not a new fad, BTW. farmers markets have been around since people have been farming food and selling it direct to the public. there has been a new renaissance for farmers markets in the past 3 years or so. This seems to be related to the big boom in organic food but it also has a lot to do with the fact the FDA cannot keep our industrial food clean and safe (ever notice most food recalls occur 2 to 8 weeks after the food has hit retail shelves and is in almost every case already sold and eaten?) and also Farmers markets are being pushed by food shows