by Tiffani Patton
The farmers’ market is the place to go for fresh, seasonal, local produce. But it’s not just about the produce, it’s about the people. At the farmers market, you get a chance to support your local economy. Farmers who sell locally create roughly thirteen jobs for every $1 million in revenue, in comparison to the three jobs created by those who don’t sell locally. And those farmers? They are the true stewards of the land, growing diversified crops instead of engaging in environmentally degrading monocropping.
But you know what else you get at the farmers market? Human interaction. Shopping at the farmers market results in three times more social interactions than shopping at a grocery store. While this may sound panic-inducing for some (hello introverts), we have to admit that in this age of digital everything, there’s a special magic—and real community-building—that can only come from those increasingly rare face-to-face interactions.
If you’re not convinced, check out these great videos from our friends at the California Alliance for Farmers Markets. Live in California? Find your local market at FMFinder.org.
Header photo by Caleb Stokes/Unsplash
