Recently, I’ve started shopping at the farmer’s market for the majority of my fresh produce and deli items. I had tentatively started this back in 2019, but when covid hit, my market browsing days were over. When a friend of mine invited me to go back to the market with her, I jumped at the chance. The experience reminded me that grocery shopping can be fun, as well as sustainable, healthy and helpful to small businesses.
Shopping in a grocery shop is very orderly. You walk up and down the aisles, pull what you want off the shelves and then pay. There’s often little human contact and there’s no connection to where the food came from. When you think about it, much of what you buy has travelled hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometres before you get it home. Much is packaged, often in plastic. It’s a very efficient and budget-friendly way to shop, which is why most people (myself included) do it.
Market shopping is the opposite. The stalls are sprawled around the market, with people strolling about and milling around particular stalls. Very little is packaged, and when they do wrap something up for you, it’s usually in paper. You have to move from one small business to another, interacting with the shop assistants and lugging your bounty with you. It’s not efficient, it discourages you from buying extra ‘just because’ and it’s wonderful.
You get better quality produce
The reason I’ve fallen in love with farmer’s markets is firstly that I’m able to get incredibly fresh, organic, local produce there. It hasn’t travelled very far, nor been sprayed by pesticides. There is often a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, that goes beyond the most popular species. When was the last time you went to Woolworths and saw a yellow beetroot or purple tomatoes? A wider variety of plant types and colours is very good for our gut and health, so farmer’s markets allow me to branch out and try new things while promoting my family’s health.
You’re supporting a small business
Secondly, by shopping at the market I’m supporting a small business. Through this pandemic, small to medium businesses have taken a huge hit, and it feels good to be able to help them out by getting my groceries there. The connection with each stall-holder when I pay for my produce feels more authentic than the self-checkout at chain shops too.
A lot of the staff you meet at the farmer’s market are the business owners or their family. Because market shopping is a slower affair, I find myself chatting more with them (a big deal for introverted me). It doesn’t feel as if I’m slowing other people down if I chat. Having that connection with the people who brought me my food gives me a better appreciation for the blessing that it is.
You buy fewer ‘just because’ items
Full disclosure: the prices at the farmer’s market will be higher than a chain shop. I know many people can’t shop there for that reason, and I do understand. However, for me it’s still an option and I recognise that I’m paying more because I’m paying for a better quality product from a smaller business with higher running costs than a conglomerate. While my final bill is higher, I find I’m spending less on ‘just because’ items because of the nature of the market.
Supermarkets are set up to tempt you with sale items, delicious treats and little extras. And it works. Ever gone in for a litre of milk and come out with that plus a chocolate bar, a block of cheese and a face mask that was on sale? Exactly. It’s to be expected, it’s their job to make you buy more. Farmer’s markets obviously want you to buy more too, but they aren’t set up with nearly so much precision.
Stalls are sprawled about the area. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and you’ve got to pull your nana trolley or lug your bags from shop to shop. The sheer inconvenience of carrying everything is bound to make you rethink that tray of sale fruit. If I really need something, I’m committed to buying it and will carry it with me, but the set up does help you to rethink those extra items.
You waste less food
This links to the point above. When you buy less, you’re less likely to have a forgotten tomato going bad at the back of the fridge. Markets keep you to a reasonable limit, which means you can actually use what you buy. I also find that the higher price-point, the connection to the small business and the act of carrying it around makes me much more committed to using what I buy.
I’m still getting back into the habit of market shopping, but I think that it might work out to be slightly less expensive over the long run, if I continue to buy and waste less food. I’ll have to track that to be sure, but I’ve already noticed less waste which is great.
Grocery shopping can be fun
Market shopping is just more enjoyable. You walk amid mounds of glowing fruit and vegetables, counters of cheese and rich looking meats. There are intriguing herbs, spices and foods you’ve never seen before to inspect and perhaps try. People talk, laugh and smile as they walk about with their baskets. You can rest your nana trolley while enjoying a coffee and pastry at one stall before grabbing your week’s fresh produce at another. Unlike the efficient chore of supermarket shopping, going to the market is an event. It’s relaxed and interesting. You can take your time and enjoy your Saturday shop.
