5 + Things You Should Buy at the Farmers’ Market

One of my favorite things to do is visit Farmers' Markets for fresh produce.  We are lucky to have some good options all over the Southern Tier. For a complete list, including hours, click HERE.

If you don't have a list of things you want to buy, sometimes it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the fresh "stuff" you can buy and it's easy to spend more than you anticipated.

Here are 5 + things that you should consider buying the next time you visit our local Farmers' Markets:

1. Honey - Forget the store brands that are made by bees out side the region and countries such as Mexico and Argentina.  Make sure you ask the vendor where their honey comes from.  Local honey is absolutely the best because it's made by bees that are from here, and pollinate our flowers and plants.  That means it will help you build an immunity to germs and allergies that may bother you.
2. Eggs-  If you've every compared a store bought egg vs a fresh egg right off a farm that is pasture raised, it's pretty clear that all eggs are not created equal.
3. Tomatoes -  I don't know why but store bought tomatoes rarely have any taste.  Although you may not be able to find the Farmers' Market variety for a little while yet, it's definitely worth the wait for the sweet and amazing taste.
4. Berries -  Another taste test to try is locally grown strawberries vs store bought.  First of all, most store bought varieties are picked green and chemically gassed to turn red about the time they arrive to your grocery store.  The truth is all berries that are grown in the Binghamton area are better than the supermarket varieties. And the same goes for Pennsylvania Peaches. Yum!
5. Asparagus and corn - I must confess, I grow the best asparagus.  But once it's gone, I seek it out at local Farmers' Markets.  It's always sweeter.  The same goes for sweet corn.  There's nothing like it.