Meet your produce people: Ever long for the days when we knew the milkman by name or got calls from the grocer about early season apples? Then you’ll be happy to hear that they’re not gone, they’re at the farmer’s market! The farmers and producers themselves staff most booths, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and make friends. Once they get to know you, they might set aside your favorite foods, offer recipes, and even introduce you to something new (ramp, anyone?).

Bring a basket: Two of my biggest pet peeves are bruised fruit and digging through my bag to remember if I bought something. That’s why I love using my basket at the farmer’s market: it keeps my food from getting smushed and right where I can see it. I’m partial to baskets made of grass, like this one from Vivaterra, but Reisenthal makes nice ones that are easy to clean and collapsible (available at reuseablebags.com).

Stop by the ATM: Few vendors at the farmers market are equipped with credit card machines, so be prepared to use cash.

Try the samples: Sure you’ve got the list, but you never know what you’ll find at the farmers’ market. Get ready to try fruits you’ve never heard of, unique blends of olive oil, and who knows what else. I love being surprised by my new favorite foods; yes red chili tortillas, I’m thinking of you.

Skip the plastic: Many vendors will supply plastic bags, but that’s the last place to put your brand new produce! Invest in some cloth bags that will keep your purchases grouped together without adding weight. EcoBags creates great produce sacks made from organic cotton in various sizes. Bonus: markets that offer small rebates for tote bags will give rebates on these small bags as well.

Go with friends: Nothing brings people together like food, and the farmers market is no exception. In addition to plentiful samples, local vendors will often set up shop and offer meal specials from their restaurants. So sit down and relax after navigating the food stalls!

Image courtesy of safbaby.com

If you don’t harness buying local and fresh when produce is, well, local and fresh, you’re truly missing out. Once you try a tomato straight from your garden or fresh-picked from a down-the-road farm, you’ll realize your winter tomato-eating will never compare. Juicy, sweet and flavourful, they have a dense, gardeny flavour that is hard to ignore.

But it’s not just that – the top produce picks that are available at the Farmer’s Market right about now are also among the healthiest foods you can eat. Here are some of my favourites.

Tomatoes

Starting in late June, depending on your region, tomatoes start in full force. Ranging from cherry tomatoes to heirloom to everything in between, they come in a variety of colours, textures and tastes. Tomatoes are rich in vitamins C and A, but also shine for their abundance of lycopene, an antioxidant that is associated with preventing heart disease and cancer. Lycopene is active when cooked, so buy a bushel of tomatoes and cook down vats of pasta sauce to have on hand in the freezer over the winter months.

Peas

You might have enjoyed peas deshucked in the frozen or canned varieties, but enjoying them straight out of the pod is a Spring indulgence. Their sweet taste adds a little extra in every dish, and are a high fibre source with 7 grams per 1 cup. They’re also a great source of vitamin K, C and B1, as well as folate and magnesium. Try them in shelled straight into a salad or coleslaw, as opposed to basic steaming methods.

Strawberries

A fruit favourite, these Farmer’s Market finds are at the beginning of their season. Strawberries are a great addition in your morning cereal or after-dinner dessert, but great for your heart, too. Strawberries are rich in antioxidants, which are heart-protecting, anti-inflammatory and fight against cancer. They are also rich in fibre and vitamin C – in fact, they contain 125% of the RDI of the vitamin.

Asparagus

The perfect produce that can be prepared in minutes, asparagus is a rich source of folate, which assists in cardiovascular health, and vitamin K, clocking in 114% of your DRI. It’s also high in potassium, fibre, and vitamins A and C, as well as antioxidants, to fight heart disease and cancer. Try roasted on the BBQ with sea salt and a squeeze of fresh orange juice, or thinly sliced and tossed with olive oil and lemon for a quick summery side.

What are your Spring market favourites?

Image courtesy of localharvest.ca

Local Harvest
localharvest.org

LocalHarvest is dedicated to delivering Americans a nationwide directory of organic and local food. It lists farms, markets, and other food sources, with helpful search engines providing ease for the hunt for sustainable food choices. They also include an online store for farmers to develop markets for products sellable beyond their local area.

Farmers  Markets Canada
farmersmarketscanada.ca

Farmers Markets Canada connects Canada’s provincial and territorial farmers’ market organizations to help develop and build information, networking, standards, regulations and more. The website provides information on locations near you, as well as interesting reports and resources. It’s run by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Eat Well Guide®
eatwellguide.org

Eat Well Guide® is an online directory featuring farmers markets, CSA programs, organizations, restaurants, and other locally-based food items grown in the United States and Canada. Its search tool is easy to use to find sources near you. You can also download customized guides to discover hidden gems in your area. Their Eat Well Everywhere tool lets you write in your starting and ending address, then gives you a detailed outline of your choices for your whole trip. The guide is also home to The Green Fork Blog, highlighting various topics, from the latest  news to gardening tips. You can join in by contacting them: blog@eatwellguide.org.

Organic Consumers Association
OrganicConsumers.org

The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a grassroots non-profit organization spreading the word about health, justice, and sustainability. Their reports discuss issues such as food safety, agriculture, genetically modified foods and engineering, disease and health, Fair Trade, and other similar matters. To get involved, they offer volunteering and internship opportunities.

Kitchen Gardeners International
KitchenGardeners.org

Kitchen Gardeners International is a nonprofit organization hailing from Maine, with a mission to help communities and individuals increase their backyard gardening knowledge. It’s an online community where gardeners can discuss and share their passion for food, cooking, and gardening, while learning new skills and helping others. In addition, with their plentiful information, their database provides essential knowledge to help others achieve higher levels of food self-reliance. Their e-store also provides an amazon.com directed link to give you the best gardening, cooking, and food book recommendations.

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms
wwoofinternational.org

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a world wide network of organizations designed to help volunteers live and learn on organic properties. WWOOF brings together these volunteers with hosts, through an exchange program that helps promote cultural understanding and making the world a better place. Through WWOOF, you not only learn essential organic farming skills, but also important life skills, confidence, and self-worth.  And the places you’ll visit and people you’ll meet? Undoubtedly life-changing. The ultimate in “Green” traveling.

EcoTrotters
ecotrotters.com

EcoTrotters is an online eco-travel community born with the goal to help travelers decide where to stay. Their database holds user- and travel-submitted sites with reliable eco-hotel recommendations. Alongside their rating system, they comment on the hotel’s planet-friendly procedures, given that it initially complies with a certain number of guidelines. They rate the accommodations based on the hotel’s environmental impact, conservation activities, free-trade in the local community, promoting sustainability, and other similar aspects.

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There are hundreds of other online resources that make our sustainable goals a lot more achievable. Check out our Travel section for more ideas about making your next trip. Add your favourites below, and we’ll highlight them in a future article.

Image: rhubarb stalks, courtesy of kitchengardeners.org