Tampa shopping at farmer’s markets is something that we should do at one point or another. It’s a great reason to get out of the house while shopping for some great local products. It is also a great way to support local farmers and artisans.
If you have any questions about how the products were made or grown, you don’t need to default to contacting customer service through their website, you can simply ask them right then and there. It’s also a great place to find produce if you support farm to table, as it’s a good way to know exactly where your food is coming from, and how your food is being grown.
But if it’s your first time at a farmer’s market, this can be a pretty intimidating experience, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. So to help you out, here are some Tampa shopping tips for shopping at a farmer’s market in order to guarantee that you bring home some great products.
Know what’s in season
It would be a shame to head on over to your local farmer’s market expecting to buy something specific, but then finding out that it’s no longer in season. To help avoid the disappointment, learn a little bit about the local fruits and vegetables that are currently in season. This helps makes sure that you find what you’re looking for, as well as helps you find the freshest produce that is currently in season.
Avoid the crowds
Some people don’t like farmer’s markets because they tend to be a little crowded. This makes sense, especially with the recent boom of supporting organic and local food.
If you’re looking to get the best products first, go as early as possible. This guarantees that you get the first pick, which means that you can get your hands on the best products that always seem to sell out by midday.
But if you’re looking for some great deals, you can head over around closing time for these. Vendors are more likely to give a discount on unsold products around closing time to save time and effort on packing up the produce and bringing them home.
Don’t be picky
Remember that this is a farmer’s market, which means that the produce isn’t going to go through the process of cleaning and packaging that produce at your local supermarket is going to. You will find dirt on the vegetables, and they’re not always going to look picture perfect.
You might see dents and dimples on the produce, and that’s okay. It might not look as pretty as the stuff you’ll find at supermarkets, but it’ll taste much better.
Set a budget, but leave some room
Like with any Tampa shopping trip, set a budget for yourself. As much as possible, bring cash. However, leave yourself with some room to buy something that you hadn’t planned for. Maybe you weren’t expecting blueberries or fresh peaches, and it’s never wrong to treat yourself with some fantastic food once in a while.