Saving money at the farmer’s market

Given that my fridge was empty and that I am still about 2.5 weeks away from another Garden Fresh Box delivery, I decided to spend my Saturday morning at the St. Jacob’s Farmers Market, which is the best market in the area.  The Guelph Farmer’s Market has a great atmosphere and it is very convenient, located just minutes from my home, but it’s just too expensive for everyday shopping.  Since I needed a lot of produce, I decided to make the drive to St. Jacob’s.

Today was a beautiful, sunny and hot Saturday, which has followed a rainy and cool July, so it’s not surprising that many other people had the same idea as me. Visiting a colourful outdoor market is a great summer activity, and the market was brimming with visitors. I loved it. Normally I dislike crowds, but I found the atmosphere so fun and vibrant today.

Tips for shopping at a farmer’s market

When you’re shopping at a farmer’s market, it’s a good idea to check that the products actually came from the farm selling the item, and check for a sign that says the products came from your province or state, because not all of them do.  

One of the benefits of living in Guelph is that there are many local farms and it’s easy to recognize them.  I love this sign for the Fergus fruit farm growing raspberries (pictured below). The directions to the farm are printed right on the sign! Not shown was a sign explaining that the raspberries were just picked this morning. Some of the vendors will volunteer information as well. The lady who sold me my flowers told me explicitly that everything they sold was from their mennonite farm.  

I can’t help but wonder if vendors on the rim of the market pay a premium. I’m not sure if their prices are higher or not, and it was too messy and chaotic to do a price comparison today.  But I tend to venture into the middle of the market anyway, assuming that they might be able to offer a cheaper price if they pay less for their space.

Arriving early is the best idea, although I have seen vendors start cutting prices towards the end of the day. However I don’t think enough vendors follow this practice to make it worth sacrificing your choice of quality produce.  That being said, the quality at St. Jacob’s was top notch today.  I arrived late, and it was packed, but I still found an amazing selection. Well done, Ontario farmers!

The vendors make a profit by selling their produce in large quantities.  As a newly single individual, there are only so many plums I can eat before they go bad. I chose to buy my single items - a single red pepper, for example - at the grocery store, rather than shelling out $5 or more for an entire basket of peppers.  Your other option would be to go with a friend or share with another family, because the best deals are to be made had when you buy large quantities.

Farmer’s Markets may be cheaper, higher quality, and offer a greater variety of local produce than grocery stores.  But this is not exclusively so.  It’s still a good idea to price compare.  Generally I find that the St. Jacob’s Farmers Market provides a good selection of affordable and high quality produce.  Today I spent approximately $22 and got the following:

1 “alive lettuce” - leaf lettuce with roots 

1 bunch mint - with roots, which I have promptly planted

1 bunch basil - with roots, which I have planted also

1 bunch parsley

1 bunch cilantro

1 English cucumber

1 bunch celery

1 head fresh garlic (mmmm)

1 quart cremini mushrooms

3 large yellow summer squash

6 tomatoes

2 bunches green onions

1 bunch fresh flowers

The Garden Fresh Box is still the best deal, but I think this is a very reasonable alternative when it’s not available.

Do you shop at farmers markets? What’s your favourite method of getting affordable, local, fresh produce?