An Argument for Farmers' Markets
Ashlyn Simonson
Booths lined up in the streets like books on a shelf, the sound of laughter and shoes on pavement, the smell of fruit pies being sold at the end of the row. Growing up, going to the farmer’s market in the town where my grandma lived was an occasion to look forward to. The entire experience felt magical to me, like there was some quality that farmer’s markets had that nothing else did. I adored examining all fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and other produce, purchasing lunch from a booth that was cooking stir-fry in a giant wok and selling it in those Chinese takeout boxes, and trying to decide which homemade jewelry booth to spend my birthday money at.
I was shocked when I learned that farmer’s markets were becoming a thing of the past, because how can anyone not love them? As I did my research, though, I discovered that the positive aspects of shopping at a farmer’s market were much more abundant than childhood nostalgia. As it turns out, shopping at farmer’s markets is good for the community, the environment, the economy, and you.
One of the great things about farmer’s markets is how beneficial they are for the local economy. Common sense seems to dictate that commercial grocery stores such as Walmart or Target are far better because of the jobs that they create, and while this is a huge plus of having a commercial grocery store, farmer’s markets can boost the local economy as well! Wetherbee (1999) emphasizes that, in addition to all the other benefits of shopping at a farmer’s market, they “enable consumers to support local businesses” (p. 34). Supporting local businesses not only includes the businesses in town, but also the small ranches and farms within your community.
As someone who grew up on a ranch, I know personally just how important it is to support local ranchers instead of buying from commercial grocery stores. When members of our family purchase beef directly from us, they get their pick of cuts of meat, and they decide the amount. This also helps our ranch with stability, as we know for sure that we can sell our beef for a set price, whereas selling it to commercial stores can vary wildly depending on how much they need and how the cattle market looks. It is so important to “support the grower rather than a middleman,” stated Organic Gardening magazine (“Local Favorites,” 2009, p. 15). This would not even be a problem if commercial grocery stores were stocked by local farmers and ranchers, but most of the time, they are stocked by commercial farms and ranches. More often than not, stores like Walmart put small farms and ranches at serious disadvantages, and can even cause them to go bankrupt (Conniff, 2015). It is vital to support the small businesses in your local economy, because if you don’t, there might not be much of a local economy left to support.
About eight years ago, my small town decided to put on a farmer’s market. It was advertised that it would be held in the gym, and small businesses, like local boutiques and distributors for Multi-Level Marketing businesses (MLMs), and farms could rent out a booth, and people could walk around the booths and shop, eat, and have fun. The goal was that the rent and the money made by the concession stand would go to the Mullen Girl Scouts, my Girl Scout troop, and the small businesses would make a substantial profit. I vividly remember thinking that this was going to be a colossal waste of time when my troop leader pitched the idea to us. I thought I knew about every business in Mullen, and who would want to come to an event when you could just stroll down Main street and hit them all?
The day of the farmer’s market came, and my mom dropped me off at the gym kicking and screaming because of the work I was dreading. I walked through the doors, and my jaw dropped. I observed that, instead of the ten booths I insisted would be standing alone, there were over forty booths lined up around the painted boundary lines. Surprised, I saw lots of people I never knew had small businesses; the nice lady from church was selling crocheted potholders and embroidered tea towels, a little girl in the grade below me was selling socks and t-shirts she tie-dyed with her dad, and my neighbor was selling homemade fishing lures.
I reluctantly took my place behind the counter, eager to complete my shift, no longer dreaming of leaving, but of exploring the booths in front of me. When I was finally done with my shift, my friends and I wandered around the booths, gazing at feather earrings, fresh bread and pastries, hand-carved chess sets, knitted clothes, and everything in between. I had never dreamed there were that many small businesses in my town of four hundred people. I certainly never thought that something as simple as a farmer’s market could be so beneficial to so many people.
Another compelling reason to shop at farmer’s markets is to lessen your carbon footprint. It isn’t any secret that with the sheer amount of single use plastics employed by commercial grocery stores, they care little for the environment and the planet they are on. The same goes for online shopping! Temming (2020) explains that the emissions caused by packaging for local shops is less than half of that of commercial grocery stores or e-shopping (p. 5). This really cannot come as a surprise to anyone who has experienced online shopping, which, in 2022, is almost everyone. We have all met the UPS deliverer at the door, excited to open the item we were waiting for, and dug through one, two, even three layers of plastic that goes straight to the garbage can the moment it escapes its cardboard home. It seems unnecessary, we think to ourselves, but oh well. That is just the way the world works, right? Much like most things we just accept because of ‘the way it is,’ there is a very simple fix to reduce the amount of single use plastics that are hand-delivered to our doors: shopping locally at farmer’s markets. Farmer’s markets do not necessarily have to package with plastics, because the items being sold are not ever being shipped. Rather, they are handed directly to the customer.
A significant example of this is a farmer’s market on Aksarben in Omaha, Nebraska. The last time I went there, they had a challenge to their vendors to see who can be the most sustainable in their packaging. This results in purchasing necklaces in little velvet bags, putting your cardboard food container in the recycling bins located along every street, and buying cloth bags made from recycled t-shirts. My personal favorite of these things is buying a lemonade from Just Bright, and receiving my drink in a reusable plastic cup in the shape of a light bulb. The bottom of the cup even has lights that come in different colors! This clearly shows that not only do farmer’s markets care about sustainability, but they do it in a way that is fun and interesting.
Another way farmer’s markets can cut down on your plastic usage are the things they sell! Almost every farmer’s market I have ever been to has sold reusable bags, but it certainly doesn’t stop there. Some of the sustainable products I have seen have been really creative. Some vendors sell cloth soaked in beeswax that can replace Saran Wrap entirely. I own a travel case with bamboo utensils and metal straws, so I don’t have to use plastic silverware, which I bought at a farmer’s market. A personal favorite of mine is a plant sold in a pot that dissolves into the soil, so you just stick the whole thing into the ground and water like normal! If you want to find a way to lessen your single use plastic consumption, go to a farmer’s market!
Despite being the most well known, cutting down on single use plastics is not the only way to lessen your carbon footprint. Shopping at farmer’s markets greatly reduces the risks of additives, pesticides, processing, and any other unnecessary chemical being in and on the food products being purchased. In short, the produce is more organic. In a study by the Public Library of Science, Adanacioglu (2021) found that the most loyal group of consumers to farmer’s markets were the “conscious consumers,” or the group of consumers most concerned with food safety and absence of chemicals. According to this study, farmer’s markets come out victorious to commercial grocery stores in terms of quality and freshness (p. 1-17). It was found that people who shop at farmer’s markets have a better understanding of ‘good food choices,’ or food that is higher in nutritional value, and better for you in general (Connell et al., 2008).
The absence of these chemicals from your food is more important than you could ever imagine. Interdisciplinary Toxicology (2009), a scientific journal, reported that pesticide poisoning is the cause of over one million deaths and numerous chronic diseases a year. Moreover, it is toxic to the animals who depend on insects for food, who eat the poisoned bugs and then in turn, also die. Pesticides also contaminate the soil, and kill plants, animals, and insects that were not intended to be poisoned. These chemicals even kill fish, as runoff from commercial farms gets into the groundwater, lakes, rivers, and streams. This contaminates the drinking water of everyone who depends on these sources (Aktar et al., 2009). Smaller farms do not employ the usage of chemicals and pesticides, maybe not because of the environment, but they are saving it nonetheless.
If helping the economy and saving the environment don’t provide enough incentive to shop at local farmer’s markets, it is also a way to bring your community closer together. Something about farmer’s markets promotes speaking to those around you in a way that commercial grocery stores never do. Commercial grocery stores boast efficiency in their shopping, which can be really convenient, but they do not really help in terms of getting to know the community you live in or the people with whom you share a neighborhood. Although an efficient in and out Walmart may be a lot quicker, sometimes in life we as people can benefit from slowing everything down. It feels like everyone is rushing to the next place and the next task.
Farmer’s markets are the perfect places to just take a minute to decelerate in a world where it has been demanded that we keep going as quickly as possible for as long as you can. In an article for Parks and Recreation magazine, author Kevin Roth (2019) describes farmer’s markets as “a place to bring family, friends and neighbors together through education, entertainment and community engagement”(p. 14). In short, he argues that farmer’s markets are a place where a community can come together. He provides statistics stating that 62% of farmer’s markets have cultural events, and 38% offer learning opportunities. Roth (2019) goes on to outline the vitality of the farmer’s market, labeling them a ‘staple’ for small towns. Whilst his article focuses mainly on the benefits for the community, Roth’s article supports several of the points in this essay; he touches on how farmer’s markets boost local economies, they are more eco-friendly, and how they provide a wide variety of fresh and organic foods, which promotes a healthier lifestyle.
I personally have been to a lot of different farmer’s markets, but one that stood out to me was in Kansas City, Kansas while I was visiting family; my one request was that we go to a farmer’s market on Sunday morning. We googled some locations, and ended up at a little recreation center. The courtyard outside was stuffed with booths, curling around the perimeter of a little grassy area with a large crowd accumulating around it. My family and I made a lap around the booths, perusing the fresh baked goods, homegrown produce, and homemade beaded earrings and bracelets, and we stopped to wait in line at a little kiosk selling bags of pumpkin bagels. Disinterested, I wandered over to the crowd, puzzling over what could possibly be so interesting. This particular farmer’s market had a weekly block-car derby, but instead of making cars out of blocks of wood down a ramp, they were crafted from various produce. Enraptured, I watched people race squashes covered in glittery stickers versus a potato with a large pinwheel fastened to the top. Children no older than two years old would toddle up to the sponsors to present their car, and proud parents would cheer as their kid’s cucumber truck crossed the finish line. I found myself engrossed in the event, making mental bets on which car would win, high-fiving and congratulating victorious strangers. It was touching to see a group of friends, families, and strangers being brought together by nothing more than a local farmer’s market promoting zucchinis with wheels.
The final and arguably most important reason to shop at farmer’s markets is how valuable they are for your health and eating habits. As mentioned earlier in this essay, smaller farms typically forego the usage of chemicals and pesticides, which cause cancer, chronic illness, and even death. In addition, produce at farmer’s markets is fresher, more likely to be organic, and better quality than that in a commercial grocery store, which likely rode on a truck for several hours, and then sat in the back, possibly for days, before ever seeing the shelves. One of the biggest ways shopping at farmer’s markets can promote a healthier diet is the lack of junk food (Colman, 2018). It is so easy to just pick up a frozen pizza or some ramen noodles when you go to Whole Foods, but those things are usually never sold at farmer’s markets. That is not to say that the markets don't still sell a variety of foods. I have seen everything from homemade pasta, baked breads, oven-ready homemade enchiladas, tomato and pesto sauces, smoothie kits, and everything else you could think of. While that means the groceries you buy at a farmer’s market require more effort in the kitchen, the result is a delicious and nutritious meal that you and your body love.
Those that know me personally know about my deep love of cooking. Recently I have been obsessed with making homemade pasta. I had already made attempts at regular spaghetti, fettuccine, and three cheese ravioli when I visited a farmer’s market in Lenexa, Kansas. As I wandered around the booths, I spotted a homemade pasta stand at the end of one of the rows. We made our way over, and while my family browsed the wide array of pasta types, I worked my courage up to ask the vendor some questions. I noticed he was selling garlic infused linguine, along with multiple other varieties of infused pasta. I tentatively told him about my latest endeavors into making pasta, and asked him how to infuse my dough with other foods and flavors. I worried that he wouldn’t want to tell me, given that that was how he was making money. To my surprise, he seemed pleased with my questions. He walked me through the steps, and gave me some tips on how to make my noodles more flavorful and tender. We ended up purchasing three or four bags from him, and he gave me an extra bag with a wink and a smile. The pasta we purchased from him, paired with pesto from another booth we had come across that day, was absolutely decadent. Every time I make pasta now, I think of his delicious food and the kindness he treated me with. In my opinion, that’s not the kind of interaction you can have at a Sam’s Club.
One of the underrated health benefits of farmer’s markets are as simple as walking around in the fresh air. It can be difficult to carve a chunk of your valuable time out for exercise and spending time outdoors. Shopping at farmer’s markets combines those things; you also get to go grocery shopping! Author Sarah Mahoney (2007) lets us know that in her studies, she has found that interaction with nature “reduces depression, promotes healing, sparks creativity, and even increases life expectancy” (p. 193). It has also been proven that fresh air promotes deeper breathing, bringing more oxygen to your cells and brain. The amount of oxygen being received by the brain vastly impacts that amount of serotonin, or the chemical that makes you happy, you are able to produce. More oxygen equals more serotonin. Going on walks also improves blood flow, joint movement, and mood. As someone who is extremely intimidated by the thought of going to the gym to get my exercise, I would much rather go to a farmer’s market to go on my walks, get some fresh air, and save the economy, community, and environment all at once. Think about all the time I am saving, and I get to enjoy myself!
Last year, while visiting my grandparents over Thanksgiving, my whole extended family, who all insist on family walks every time we get together, decided this walk would be to the farmer’s market in the next neighborhood over. We made our way to the farmer’s market, and looked around. It was late in the season, so there wasn’t really a wide variety of produce anymore, but there were plenty of other booths to look at. There were old ladies selling knitted mittens and hats, a man selling beautiful carved wooden figures, a woman selling Pampered Chef, and much more. After we had made our purchases, we saw a basketball hoop across the park, and some basketballs for public use. It was a beautiful day, and after careful deliberation of whether grandma would kill us for being late for lunch, we decided to play a short game. We were matched up cousins versus our parents, and we played for almost two hours. We yelled, laughed, ran, jumped, and had an amazing time. By the time we were walking back to the house, we were all sweaty faced and rosy cheeked. That was one of my favorite memories of Thanksgiving, and we probably would have never done anything like that if we hadn’t already been at the park for the farmer’s market.
If you still have doubts or reservations about why shopping at a farmer’s market is so much better than shopping at a commercial grocery store, allow me to address some of your potential questions and arguments. If your main concern is that produce at farmer’s markets can be more expensive than that of commercial grocery stores, remember that you are paying for better quality, and you’re investing your money into your local community. The produce at farmer’s markets is fresher, more organic, and you get the moral satisfaction of knowing where your food is coming from and what is in it (Leiper, & Clarke-Sather, 2017).
Maybe you are wondering what you’re supposed to do in the winter months when farmer’s markets aren’t open. This is a very reasonable concern, and I am usually very sad when farmer’s markets close for the season. But the fact that they aren’t open all year round is only more incentive to shop at them when you can! Take advantage of all the pros of shopping at farmer’s markets while you can, so you don’t get sick of eating the same mediocre Walmart produce all year long. If you’re really worried about the cold season, remember that shopping locally whenever you possibly can will bring a lot of the same benefits that shopping at the farmer’s markets brings you.
A common argument for people in rural areas is that there isn’t a farmer’s market close. I’m not suggesting that people drive 45 minutes every week to get their groceries at a farmer’s market instead of their local grocery store. That would be unreasonable. Just do your best to remember to visit one when you go to bigger towns and cities. I live an hour and a half away from the closest Walmart, so I understand the struggles of living in small towns. At the end of the day, doing your best to go to a farmer’s market when you can is still going to be better for you than always shopping at commercial grocery stores.
Now we have gone through lots of information, and a few anecdotes, about how shopping at farmer’s markets is good for the community, the environment, the economy, and you. In the very beginning of this essay, I revealed that when I was little, I thought farmer’s markets were somehow magical, and I still believe that to this day. If feelings of pure excitement, anticipation, togetherness, and joy aren’t magic, I’m not sure what is. Farmer’s markets were very special to me, long before I knew just how beneficial they were to people who shop at them, the people who work at them, and the communities that they are in. They have something for everyone who goes to them, and it is fun for the whole family. It’s a great opportunity to, as the Mullen Farmer’s Market motto says, “put your money where your heart is.”
References
Adanacioglu, H. (2021). Factors affecting the purchase behavior of farmers’ markets consumers. PLoS ONE, 16(7), 1–17. https://doi-org.mpcc.idm.oclc.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255435
Aktar, M., Sengupta, D., & Chowdhury, A. (2009). Impact of pesticides use in agriculture: their benefits and hazards. Interdisciplinary Toxicology, 2(1), 1-12.
Colman, A. (2018). Farmers Markets: Access to healthy, fresh and local fruits and vegetables in your community park. Parks & Recreation, 53(9), 54–58.
Conniff, R. (2015). The Urban-Rural food movement. Progressive, 79(7/8), 6–7.
Connell, D., Smithers, J., & Joseph, A. (2008). Farmers’ markets and the “good food” value chain: a preliminary study. Local Environment, 13(3), 169–185. https://doi-org.mpcc.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13549830701669096
Leiper, C., & Clarke-Sather, A. (2017). Co-creating an alternative: The moral economy of participating in farmers’ markets. Local Environment, 22(7), 840–858. https://doi-org.mpcc.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/13549839.2017.1296822
Local Favorites. (2008). Organic Gardening, 55(6), 15.
Mahoney, S. (2007). The Fresh-Air Fix. Prevention, 59(8), 193–195.
Roth, K. (2019). Connecting communities through farmers markets: Where healthy food, education, entertainment and community engagement all meet. Parks & Recreation, 54(6), 14–15.
Temming, M. (2020). Buying local is greener than e-shopping. Science News, 197(6), 5.
Wetherbee, K. (1999). Farmers’ market favorites. Organic Gardening, 46(5), 34.
