August 19, 2021

Fresh produce is always something to get excited about. The variety of delicious flavors and attention to quality can transform a simple dish into an extraordinary dinner milestone.  Many people purchase their food from the grocery store, but there are many farmers’ market die-hards who swear by the quality of their food. This leads to the question, where should you be getting your food?

For over 30 years, Peddler’s Son has been Arizona’s source for incredible ingredients and on-time delivery. We partner with a wide range of industry professionals, including those in healthcare, education, catering, hospitality, and restaurants. Additionally, we’ve helped supply grocery stores with fresh produce to keep their store stocked on your favorite fruits and vegetables. Read our blog post below and learn where you should be doing your shopping – the farmers’ market or grocery store?

What Exactly Can You Find at a Farmers’ Market?

The smells, the sights, the feeling; there’s nothing quite like walking through a farmers’ market. It’s a hub for consumers to purchase goods directly from farmers and other small businesses. These markets exist in many countries around the world and promote a strong local economy by supporting farmers in the area. Typically, you’ll find a wide variety of products. Like:

• Fresh produce
• Live animals
• Plants
• Prepared foods
• Honey

And much more

Additionally, these markets allow producers and consumers to get to know each other. Many consumers are trying to be more eco-conscious, these markets allow them to learn how farmers are growing/raising their products. Resulting in wise purchasing decisions and more confidence in their purchase.

Benefits of Shopping at the Farmers’ Market

Farm Fresh

The fruits and veggies you find at the grocery store are often several days old before they reach the produce department. Additionally, before it even hits the shelves it’s stored in refrigerated coolers and trucks, possibly thousands of miles away. When you shop at the farmers’ market you can enjoy truly fresh food. In most cases, the owner of the stand picked his or her food that morning or the day before and is likely only a few miles away from the market. Making it significantly more fresh than what you may find at the grocery store.  

Organic and Non-GMO

Many farmers who participate in farmers’ markets grow organic food. Most will label it as such, so you can rest easy knowing you’re buying products free of pesticides. They will also be more likely to avoid non-genetically modified seeds, resulting in a more natural product. Not only does this benefit you, but growing organic foods is better for the soil and environment!

Farmers’ Markets Offer More Nutritious products

When you first spot the produce at your local farmers’ market you’ll be immediately hit with a beautiful array of colors. Not only is this pleasing to the eye, but our bodies! Vivid colors in fruits and veggies are a reflection of just how nutritious they are. This is a result of how the local farmer cultivates their produce, maintaining an incredible quality of product.

Benefits of Shopping at a Grocery Store

Convenience

Probably the biggest advantage grocery stores have over farmers’ markets is that they’re open seven days a week for most of the day. Being able to shop when and where you want is liberating and frees you from scheduling out your time around the farmers’ market. When you need something, you don’t have to wait until next week to pick it up at the market. You can simply stop in a store whenever you want. 

Variety

While the farmers’ market can boast farm-fresh foods, it can’t hold a candle to the variety offered in a grocery store. While yes it’s true that depending on where you live, products travel a great distance for your eating pleasure, we can’t cultivate certain items during different times of the year; some not at all. If we restricted ourselves to strictly local items, then our produce departments would likely be reduced to a mere shelf.

One-Stop Shopping Experience

Another big draw for consumers is that they can buy almost all of their food items at the grocery store. There are going to be a few items you likely can’t get at the farmers’ market, but you can easily purchase them at the supermarket. This is especially convenient for people who hate making trips to multiple places to get what they need.

Farmers’ Market or Grocery Store: Where Should You Purchase Your Produce?

Shop where you feel comfortable. Both provide excellent products for the public and help you create extraordinary dishes. It entirely depends on what you are looking for in your produce. Are you trying to be more eco-conscious and stay organic? Shop at the farmers’ market. Looking for more variety and convenience? The grocery store is the place to be.

Peddler’s Son: Arizona’s Source for Quality Wholesale Produce Since 1988, Peddler’s Son has been providing exceptional customer service with transparency and integrity throughout the state of Arizona. From our showroom and shipping docs to our on-time delivery; We strive for quality on every level. Contact us today to learn more about our wide range of quality products.