VIDEO: Farmers Market

Shopping at farmers markets in the Sacramento area can be an inexpensive alternative to buying food from grocery stores.

Farmers markets are known for selling locally grown products, such as freshly picked shady lady, Roma, or cherry tomatoes for $1 per pound, yellow or white corn for 25 cents an ear, and 30 free-range eggs for $4. Farmers markets sell a wide range of fruits and vegetables, including melons, nectarines, plums, pears, beets and chard.

In order to save money while shopping at the farmers market, Garrett McCord, a graduate student in English, said that students should know what is in season, to plan ahead and to set a budget.

Buying produce seasonally is the only option at the farmers market, which means it will not always have everything the costumer is looking for.

McCord, who tells consumers that now is the time to purchase fresh peanuts, suggests that those shopping at the market should buy what is in season.

“Do not to replace something that is in season. Simply try making something new and appreciate that dish for what it is,” McCord said. “If you want to make fresh tomato salsa in the middle of January, I would suggest making hummus or kiwi salsa instead.”

McCord has a friend who mixes kiwis and dried peppers for a fresh version of salsa made from seasonal ingredients in the middle of January.

McCord, who went to the Sacramento Central Farmers Market on a Sunday, purchased a good amount of produce at an affordable price.

“With $12 today (Sunday), I bought four ears of corn, sweet peppers, eggplants, oyster mushrooms, lemon grass, grapes, several apples, and a large bag of green beans,” McCord said. “This will feed me for a week and maybe into next.”

McCord also took part in a cultural exchange while purchasing raw peanuts at the Sunday farmers market on 5th and Broadway.

“A Hmong couple was telling me how to cook the peanuts. An Indian woman, who did not speak English, was showing me the difference between good and bad peanuts, and a man from the south was telling me how to spice them,” he said.

McCord said his cultural exchange was a unique experience and he learned more about peanuts than he intended.

Farmers at the markets are available to give suggestions and help customers choose the produce with the best quality.

Stephen Martinelli, a farmer from Hood, Calif., suggests choosing the best quality melon by smelling for a sweet scent, looking for a nice ear of corn by pulling back the husk, and choosing firm fruit because it lasts longer.

Britt Floyd, owner of Britt’s Honey, said buying locally gives customers an opportunity to meet the people who produce their food. If customers have a question or a problem about their produce, they will then know who to ask.

Consumers can ask farmers questions, such as when the high stack of apples were picked, when the tomatoes were taken off the vine before their purchase, and when their honey was canned.

Floyd’s sells honey at the Sacramento Central Farmers Market on Sunday mornings. Floyd said all his products have his address and phone number on them. He said that by giving his contact information, he keeps his products like the original United States Department of Agriculture standard where the food is traceable from the farmer to the consumer’s table.

The Sacramento Central Farmers Market on W and 8th streets sells produce that is in season, as well as herb plants, honey, flowers and animal products, including natural beef, chicken, pork and eggs.

Another stand at the Sacramento Central Farmers Market is Rob Montgomery’s Rob’s Natural Produce. Montgomery’s 10-acre farm is in Durham, Calif., 10 miles south of Chico. His farm is entirely pesticide-free and organic.

On Sept. 6, Rob’s stand had several eggplants, baskets of flashy red tomatoes for $2, a bundle of deep purple string beans for $1, and more. During the spring, customers can buy a 5-ounce bag of fresh mixed green lettuce for $3.

Veah Keyes, employee of Montgomery farms, said that Montgomery harvests the farm the day before he comes to the market.

“You cannot get much fresher than that,” Keyes said.

Before shopping and working at the farmers market, Keyes could not afford organic foods at the supermarket because of the high prices. Now she can afford to buy what her family needs each week.

One farmers market customer, Mary Lempke, said she shops at the farmers market because it is the best.

“You can find the freshest and biggest variety of foods in the Sacramento area,” Lempke said.

If going to one of the Sacramento markets is not convenient, there are other options for local and fresh produce. Farm Fresh to You, which is an organic farm, delivers fresh produce from Capay Valley and surrounding farms straight to a student’s doorstep.

Moyra Barsotti, sales manager of Farm Fresh to You, said their services are flexible and that students can get weekly or monthly deliveries.

Barsotti said there are no upfront fees for deliveries and that it is not a problem if students want their delivery to be put on hold.

Customers can choose all fruit, all vegetables, or a variety and have the freedom to customize their box of produce based on what they like or do not like. There are box sizes from small to large, beginning at $23.

Since the box has a variety of vegetables, Farm Fresh to You includes “Farm News,” which gives consumers recipes for a couple of items included in the box.

Much like shopping at the farmers market, students can be selective about what they eat when purchasing produce from Farm Fresh to You.

Vanessa Garibaldi can be reached at [email protected]