The fruits and vegetables that you buy at the farmers' market are the freshest around. Fruits fully ripen in fields and then go directly to you. There's no long distance

shipping or sitting in storage for weeks. It's fresh from the farm straight to your hands, giving you the most authentic taste possible.

So much of the food found in grocery stores is highly processed and grown using pesticides, hormones, and genetic modification. But most of the foods you find at the farmers'

market are minimally processed, and many farmers work hard to grow the most nutritious produce possible, picking it right before the farmer's market.

Since large agribusinesses dominate food production in the U.S., small family farms are struggling to compete. When you buy directly from farmers, they get a better return and this gives

them an opportunity to provide for their families.

The food you buy at the farmers' market is seasonal, making it fresh and delicious. No matter what season it is, you'll be connected with the earth and enjoy the flavors

of nature that are common in your region.

Unlike at the supermarket, you'll find an amazing variety of produce at the farmers' market that you may have never heard of. Foods like purple cauliflower, green garlic or quail

eggs are some of the unique foods you might come across.

Want to learn more about where your food comes from? Talking to farmers at the farmers' market is a great way to learn more about how and where food is

produced. They can explain the entire process, so you'll know exactly what you're putting into your body.

There aren't many grocery store cashiers who can give you tips on how to cook the food you buy. But farmers, ranchers, and artisans at the farmers' market are usually

happy to offer advice about how to cook the foods they are selling. Some farmers' markets even offer free cooking demonstrations or cooking classes that you can sign up for.

At the farmers' market, you'll find meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals that have been raised without hormones; animals who have eaten natural diets, and who have been spared the

unnatural living conditions of cages that you often find in animal agriculture.

Did you know that food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your plate? Shipping that much uses large amounts of natural resources like fossil

fuels, and contributes to pollution. It also creates extra trash from the packaging that is used. However, food at the farmers' market gets transported shorter distances, and is usually grown

using methods that minimize the impact on the environment.