my favorite things (+ some great tips) about our local farmers markets {#farmersmarketsmi #fridayfoodsafety}

The Farmers Market. A favorite thing to do for so many families this time of year! Not much compares to packing the kids up Saturday morning and heading to our local Farmers Market to grab some delicious items. We are pretty lucky that during the week where we live we have multiple Farmers Markets to choose from as well, that are members of the Michigan Farmers Market Association(MIFMA)! MIFMA is a statewide association that promotes local food consumption in Michigan that connects Farmers to consumers through the markets. It’s a GREAT way to find new markets in your area as well! If you are traveling, it’s another great resource to find ones in the location you are in. We have three that we rotate between locally, and favorite items at each!

Why the Farmers Market? Why not, really! Below are my thoughts on WHY you should be visiting your local markets the remainder of this year. Some fun tips are hidden below too!

Don’t be in a rush!Take your time to browse the entire selection available, then go back and purchase. Sometimes I get SO excited, I scoop stuff up immediately. Great for the farmer I’m buying from, but from time to time, I find a better item, or a better deal…or I find someone I like better and want to buy more from! HA! I have met some of the SWEETEST PEOPLE at these markets. Just last weekend I purchased the most beautiful arrangement of flowers from this darling older couple. There may have been bigger, more beautiful arrangements, but I fell in love with that particular booth. That’s the beautiful thing about these markets too. I love supporting them!

Get the cold stuff last. Once you set up your plan, like I mentioned above, take note of the cold items you want to purchase. Grab those last. When you are packing all your goodies up in the car afterwards, place all the cold stuff together. Then you don’t have to rush home AS fast.

It’s your literal farm to table scenario. Shop your Farmers Market, set it on your table. Ha! I love doing this with the girls though. We go through the market, figure out what we want to purchase and then head home to prep it all together.  I don’t know about you, but I am  hearing more and more about stuff happening to our food via the news. When you buy direct from the farmer, that’s less hands your food needs to travel between. Which means, less chance for contamination and additional “germs”, so to say. I’m no scientist, nor do I entirely understand all the food safety rules, but this simple tip is a no brainer to me!

Don’t touch! Well, you can touch all the produce and yummy options, but don’t handle it if you don’t have to! That’s one of the beautiful things about the market. You are going there to get fresh. You don’t want to be purchasing items that have been handled by 28 people ahead of you. And, be sure to teach your children this same simple life lesson!

Speaking of children, let’s talk dogs! Did you know many Farmers Markets allow you to bring your well-behaved dogs as well? Every now and then, when I’m feeling all ‘super-mom’-ish,  we bring our pup along. I would definitely do your research before your bring your pup along as each market has different rules, but it’s another fun outing to add to your list of things to do if you can find one that allows dogs. If you are bringing your dog, be a good dog parent! Don’t allow your dogs to wander, keep them on a leash and close to your body AND don’t let them lick the produce and other yummy items. Most importantly, leave your pup home if they get anxiety around crowds of people. Because, you know there are going to be lots of people AS WELL AS kids wanting to love on your sweet pup…mine included! Every time my youngest sees a dog, she always goes up to the owner and asks to pet it. Every. Single. Time. I’m thankful she hasn’t encountered a cranky dog yet!

You never know what you are going to get. From week to week, you get different produce depending on the time of year, crafts, treats and flowers. There’s oh so much to be had! Seriously, such a fun thing to visit! I highly encourage you to get out to some while you still can here in Michigan!!

I’d love to hear from YOU!! What are YOUR favorite Farmers Markets? Do you visit one frequently near you? What other tips do you have for our readers?

This post was funded by the Michigan Farmers Market Association (MIFMA)