I am planning on going to one of our local farmer's markets at least twice per month. I am trying to eat more food that is in season and that is local and organic. The market I will go to only sells organic/local - within 100 miles foods.
I live in Toronto, ON so the only greens are green house greens but to be at this market you have to use sustainable practices.
I would like to know what other people get at the farmer's market week by week to see the variety by geographical region and variety as the season progresses.
I was awful and do not even know how much I spent there but will keep track next time.
I started with drinking a fair trade organic coffee and eating a muffin made from sweet potatos.
Purchased:
sheeps milk cheese
2 salad greens
1 pea shoots
1 spinach
1 kale
shallots
2 big leeks (from last fall)
beets (fall)
apples (fall)
white fish and rainbow trout (caught the day before)
garlic (fall)
t-bone steak
garlic sausages
oyster mushrooms (greenhouse)
I loved meeting the farmers and artisans and talking to them about their farms or craft.
I am looking forward to some wild food finds like morels and to fiddleheads when they are ready.
Our farmers market doesnt open until May so for now I buy produce from my local grocery store (wegmans) I cant afford to buy organic tho which stinks cause Id love to use organic. This week due to not having much money I only bought tomatoes, pears, apples, and bananas and thats mostly for my 3 kids lol.
Everything is organic except the apples which are low spray. They spray only when fungus is an issue. Hard to get local organic apples here. All the farmers use free range practices and their animals have 'good' lives up until slaughter.
I really would like to buy organic coffee because I drink it daily and it is so full of pesticides etc. But can't quite manage it yet.
Anyone else go to the Farmer's Market this week or weekend? If so please share.
Now I am going with a purpose and budgeting at the Farmer's Market. Some things are more then my local grocery store but some things are worth it and some things are cheaper. I have to budget as my income has been cut by 25%.
I went with $60 and this produce will last a week and a bit. I could easily go every week but realistically will go when I can. But it has ruined me for grocery store shopping.
Puchased:
1 cabbage $3
2 large leeks $2
2 baskets of brown mushrooms $8
1 dozen eggs $5
I got all of the above from one farmer and he gave me for gree (2 large carrots, 2 large potatos and 2 large cooking onions) His eggs were a dollar less than everyone else's. Because he is organic but cannot yet certify. But market has inspected his practices and says yes organic etc.
White fish caught the day before-1 fillet enough for two meals $13
1 large black kale - $5
3 garlic -$5
3 bags of greens $8 (large)
ambrosia apples (plenty will last two weeks) $5
2 cups of organic fair trade coffee for me and DH $3
sausage roll for DH and sweet potato muffin for me $3.50
1 bunch of radishes $2.50
Total= 63 dollars
My over budget came from entertainment for the coffee and snacks which are not necessary but we enjoyed.
I expect produce will be cheaper when it begins to grow and is not greenhouse (kale,greens etc.)
Eggs are expensive but so good. I can really taste a difference.
So I can see I could shave even more. Cut out coffee and snacks. The kale was a luxury but sooo good. And at the local grocery store they do not have organic kale, it is from another country and it still costs at least 3 bucks closer to 4.
They have lovely meat there too but my DH will make do with meat on sale at the grocery store. If he would cut down on meat consumption we could go organic but he will not so too bad so sad for him. Oh well.
Greens (chard, kale, etc) are still running about $1 a bunch, and our first blueberries showed up today - pricey at $4 a pint, but definitely tasty from what I sampled.
Curious...what do you do with your kale? Do you just bake it into chips?
It's pretty similar to spinach as far as what you can use it for.
It is tasty sauteed (I like it with garlic), or chopped/shredded and eaten as a salad. That works best if you toss it with the dressing ahead of time. It lasts overnight without getting soggy, probably longer - but it is gone by then It also works great in grain salads (with quinoa or couscous). I really like it in soup too, and it's a great filler in wraps, nice and crunchy.
mandalinn82Wow the prices are so different in California from here. But I expect that when things start to grow the prices will drop. And this farmer's market I go to is comparable to the other organic farmers markets in Toronto where I live.
mirax3I feel fortunate to get the fish and I am supporting a small Native family business as well. They also sell smoked fish and it is amazing.
Yes the eggs are about 2 dollars more then at the grocery store for non organic but so worth it to me. Now I wish I would have gotten bread too. sigh
I spent around $80 today at the Farmer's Market. This is all the vegetables I will need for the week. I have enough apples left from last week. I did splurge on some items too. I just have to pick up bread for DH today. I do not get him expensive organic bread because he does not care.
4 large leeks
2 containers of brown mushrooms
1 cabbage
1 dozen eggs
*Got all of the above from same farmer and he gave me 4 large cooking onions for free.
baby greens
chives
sweet potatos (6 huge)
1 black kale
2 small jars of spicy okra pickles
1 fillet of white fish (caught yesterday)
raw nut burger (took home for my lunch)
While there had 2 cups of fairtrade organic coffee and a small sweet potato muffin.
I am so waiting for the wild food guy to bring in the first wild fiddleheads and morrels. Soon he says soon, I ask every week with anticipation. The only wild food out now are the ramps.
Next week-the first asparagus of the season!!!!!! So excited.
Wait until tomatos come out I will be over the moon.
1.3 lbs natural pork chops (total splurge, but SO looking forward to them this week) - $7
2 bunches purple kale - $2 ($1 a bunch)
1 bunch golden beets - $1.50
3 bunches of asparagus - $6
4 yellow onions - $1
Big bag of broccoli - $4
3 baskets strawberries - $6
1 bag/approx 8 tangelos - $2
1 dozen eggs - $2.50
1/2 lb sugar snap peas - $1
1 bag mixed salad (they take all the trimmings from their chard, kale, lettuces, etc and pile it all in a bag along with the more typical greens) - $2
We have a market that has prices similar to what you pay, Pluckypear, but they're in a higher-income area, in a pretty park, etc. We drive 30 min each way to get to the cheaper market, which is in downtown Sacramento on a stretch of concrete under a freeway interchange. It has none of the fun stuff (the food vendors selling yummy smelling prepared stuff, the ubiquitous kettle corn man, etc) but tons of vendors with amazing produce. The fancy market is on Saturdays, and ours is on Sundays - you get a LOT of the same vendors, with prices half or below what they charged at the other market the day before.
mandalinn82
I will try out other Farmer's Markets to see if they are any cheaper. I do not drive so rely on local transit. However I am willing to shop around. You got some wonderful things. Wow purple kale for $1 each????? Amazing.