[Shayla213]

There are a lot of ways to enjoy healthy foods. Just be open for new ideas. There are a lot of fruits and vegetables, fiber cereals, eggs and walnuts and even chocolate that are beneficial to your diet and health.

[kaplods]

Originally Posted by Serval87

I've never been to the farmer's market where I live (Dickson, TN). Does anyone know the kinds of prices I could expect? I use food stamps, but I know that they don't take them.

Farmers' markets may not "take" foodstamps (I don't know that for sure), but I do know that there is a federal "voucher" system. Until recently the voucher was only for $20 per year, but Stimulus funds raised the farmers market voucher from twenty dollars per year to eighty dollars.

I don't know how you get or use the voucher, but if you go back to the same office where you applied for the foodstamps, they should have information on how to get and how to use the vouchers.






I can't help you with regional prices, but I have a couple of tips that have worked well for me in all of the places I've lived.

Going early means you get more selection, however going late or on days when the weather is unusually yucky, can win you some bargains. If your area has multiple markets on multiple days, try as many as you can. You may find one day has better prices or a better selection.

If the market is small enough, do a walk-through before buying anything. Sometimes the vendors closest to the parking charge the highest prices (but not always). Browsing before buying lets you see who has the best looking produce at the best price.

Some vendors are open to haggling, some aren't, but if you're going to haggle - don't insult the merchandise or the pricing. I've found it easier to haggle when you're not asking them to reduce the price for one item, but rather are asking for a bulk discount. "I notice these are $2 each, would you take $5 for 3?"

Be friendly and outgoing and praise your favorite vendors (tell them how much you liked what you got from them last time. It reminds them that you're a repeat customer). Be curious, and ask about fruits and vegetables you're not familiar with. Hubby and I have found that being friendy and curious is not only fun, it can also get you a lot of free stuff. We aren't being nice in order to get free stuff, but it comes as a nice side benefit. Our regular vendors will often throw in extra of stuff they know we like, or will throw in stuff for us to try.

There are perks to being recognized as loyal customers. My husband and I love "pea potatoes," red or yukon gold potatoes that are harvested when they're between the size of grapes and peas. Our favorite vendor actually sets some aside for us (which is nice, because we usually do arrive late).

Be memorable. Hubby and I are very fat and very outgoing. We're easy to recognize. If you're shy, and fall into the average height/weight/coloring, it can be hard to make an impression on vendors who see hundreds of customers (which is why you may want to remind vendors that you're a repeat customer by praising food you've bought from them in the past). Or carry or wear something that can be a "signature" piece that makes you easy to recognize. For example we know one customer who seems to be there almost every time we shop - she carries a large fuchsia totebag. We've never talked to her, and don't know her name, but we remember her because of that bag - and no doubt her favorite vendors do too.

Know your grocery store produce prices. Some things are much cheaper. Other things are a little more expensive, but make up for the difference in taste or hardiness. I've found that farmers' market produce lasts at least three times as long as grocery store produce (and some items even longer - like apples if you refrigerate them).

If you go every week, you'll start to know your "seasons." Most produce in the farmers' markets (and often in the grocery store too) are most expensive at the beginning and end of the season. You pay a premium for being first and last.

Some veggies at their peak are so abundant that home gardeners and farmers' market vendors will practically give you as much as you want, just to get rid of them (especially if you buy something a little more pricey first).

Advertise on Craig's list or Freecycle that you're interested in tomatoes, cucumbers or zucchini (in the midwest) during their peak season, and you'll have more than you know what to do with.If you let a vendor (or a gardening neighbor for that matter) know that you have a use for overgrown zucchini, they'll practically give them away.

[shcirerf]

I garden, and we have a farmers market here, in season, I just wish we had more variety.

I so miss starfruit, it's great stuff. Ours is so basic, tomatoes, cukes, green beans, radishes, peppers, zucchinni, yellow squash, etc.

Don't get me wrong, I love these general veggies, but I would love some new stuff. Which is why I'm researching and hopefully will grow it. There is a ton of stuff that will grow here, that no one grows. Paw paw, kiwi, figs, artichokes, jerusalem something or other, garlic, herbs, the list is endless.

[nelie]

I guess kaplods knows more about farmer's markets and government programs than I but there is a farmer's market near me that was surprised that I was paying with cash. I guess most of their customers use the vouchers but they asked me about food stamps so I assumed people were using food stamps to buy the fruits/veggies.

This past weekend we made a trek to the local squash farm and spent $40 in apples and squash. It sounds like a lot but we got a lot of squash that will last us a while and winter squash can be stored for months.

A couple months ago, I also bought a squash and had a pot I used for growing tomatoes in the summer so I planted the seeds and now I have little squashes growing on my deck. Not sure if it'll work well but it cost me nothing so I'm hoping for the best.

[kaplods]

Actually I worded my post wrong (and went back and corrected it), because I don't know that farmers markets don't take food stamps.

And the voucher system I only learned of after I googled "farmers market food stamps" in response to Serval87's post because I remembered something I saw on tv about using foodstamps at farmers markets. It was years ago, and I knew that it was possible, but I didn't know how it worked. When I googled, I saw a couple of websites that discussed the voucher system and that "Stimulus funds" increasing the voucher to $80 this year, up from $20.

[3FCer344892]

Thanks so much kaplods! I didn't know that about the voucher system. I'm going to call my human services about it soon, and query. I do know that the farmers market here doesn't take food stamps, because I emailed them about it. Thanks for the tips. I'm pretty recognizable, because I have VERY long hair and am very short. But I am shy, so that is something I will have to get over. I can't wait to go now.

[cheryl126]

I think whether foods stamps are accepted at farmer's markets varies considerably by state. I know that here in Massachusetts, many of the farmer's markets have been equipped to accept Electronic Benefits Cards (food stamp debit cards). I think the state had some sort of grant program that allowed the markets to purchase the card swipers, so that they could take food stamps. It's a great step in the right direction since many of the farmer's markets in the inner city, where obesity is a huge problem and there is a shortage of grocery stores, now take the EBT cards, but there's still the issue of getting people to use them at the farmer's markets. Many of the inner city folk here are unfamiliar with the offerings at the markets and are understandably intimidated, so there's still a bit of a barrier.