Got the Grocery Store Blues?  It’s okay because its Farmers Market Season!

  • Chelsea Jones
Got the Grocery Store Blues?  It’s okay because its Farmers Market Season!

Got the Grocery Store Blues?  It’s okay because its Farmers Market Season!

Going to the same dimly-lit grocery store for your weekly food hall can feel repetitive and sometimes even a forbidding chore. Maybe you’re tired of seeing all the same selection of produce, or have grown monotonous of the same 3 varieties of gluten-free crackers that your celiac daughter has grown weary of as well. Unfortunately, there is no getting around the task of grocery shopping unless, you and your family decide you never want to eat again. With spring in full speed ahead and summer right around the corner, your local farmers market could be the perfect antidote for your grocery store blues. With farmers market’s finally open for business, a very special farmers market to everyone here at Rollingreens is the Boulder Farmers Market. We can’t help but continue to acclaim over the beloved farmers market that helped shape us into the company we are today. While we understand we might sound a little bias as Boulder farmers markets superfans, we assure you that no matter what farmers market you find yourself at, you’ll find some hidden gems in your own community.

Farmers markets are not only a great way for a community to agglomerate, but a great way to add some variety in your diet and maybe even introduce yourself and your family to some new foods. Farmers who sell their produce at Farmers Markets typically only grow and sell produce that is in season, not only making the produce more fresh and tastier but, exposing buyers to fruits and vegetables they might not ever see in their everyday grocery store.  Unless a grocery store acquires their produce from local farmers exclusively, they are importing their produce from around the world which not only leaves a stealthy carbon footprint, but it has shoppers missing out on locally grown, seasonal goodies that big chain grocery stores don’t have access to. Even if a grocery store has some of these harder to find seasonal favorites like enormous summer squashes and crispy poblano peppers, chances are they aren’t nearly half as fresh as what you’ll find at the farmers market.Take Rhubarb for an example. Rhubarb isn’t exactly a staple in grocery stores like apples and bananas, many people don’t even know what rhubarb looks like outside of a strawberry rhubarb pie making it a challenge to find in a big chain grocery store. But at the Boulder farmers market, you can find multiple farmers selling their vibrantly colored locally sourced rhubarb and at a pretty reasonable cost as well!  Want to experiment with rhubarb beyond the limits of rhubarb pie? Ask the workers at the stand! Chances are the people selling you the rhubarb have worked on the farm, know the farmer and probably have some pretty helpful expertise when it comes to the best way to prepare their product. You also can’t beat the amazing energy, that comes from locally grown food.

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Of course, we love our fruits and vegetables, but many people are constantly searching for other everyday commodities like bread, crackers, sweet treats, and even coffee!  The Farmers Market is a great place to expose yourself to new up incoming brands that grocery stores don’t have access yet. Especially when it comes to allergen friendly foods like gluten-free bread or nut free granolas, the farmers market has you covered.  Companies that are starting out will often start at farmers markets to familiarize the community with their product (sound like anyone you know?!). This is a great way to change up your grocery regime and try some new brands that could become your new go-to snack!

One of the biggest obstacles when grocery shopping can be finding the one store that has it all.  This can be quite the endeavor, especially if you have a big family with picky eaters. It may come as a surprise to some, but the farmers market is a great place to go when you’re looking for a one-stop shop.  We know what you’re thinking, farmers markets typically only have food and maybe if you’re lucky some handmade jewelry, but with the expanding popularity of farmers markets, a large variety of vendors with different products are making their way into the Saturday morning hustle and bustle of the farmers market.  The Boulder farmers market especially does a fantastic job of providing a diversity of goods and services of all types. From the plethora of stands selling beautiful potted plants, succulents, herbs, and bouquets, to the booths selling environmentally sustainable activewear clothes, to the knife sharpening station, there’s nothing you cannot find at this market.  You might find yourself a little winded from all the shopping, so why not cool down with a freshly pressed juice made from produce that was grown only a few miles away? Sounds like a perfect Saturday morning to us!

It’s hard enough to find time to spend with loved ones while also checking off all the items on your to-do list with the ever-fleeting precious 48 hours of the weekend you have.  The farmers market is a great place to spend time with the family and friends while also accomplishing those errands that keep nagging at you. Farmers markets are almost always kid-friendly environments, probably about half the population of the farmers market is either pushing a stroller or holding the hand of a tiny human.  This is an exceptional opportunity to teach kids about where their food comes from, how it grows, and why they should appreciate all the hard work Mother Nature puts in just to keep our bellies full. They might even try some new foods you never thought they’d touch! Even if your loved ones aren’t food connoisseurs, they won’t be finding themselves bored.  The Boulder farmers market in particular, along with tons of other markets often have live music, activities like coloring or face painting for kids and even sometimes animals!

Even if we seem a little bias towards our dearest Boulder Farmers Market, there are hundreds of thousands of exceptional farmers markets around the country that will have you looking forward to your weekend grocery haul.  And thankfully, since this is only the beginning of farmers markets season, make sure to stay posted with our newest discoveries, stories and finds from the Farmers market this season. Happy spring to all and happy farmers market season!

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