Do you have a farmers market in your area? How about roadside produce stands?  I live in the heart of prime farmland and I have probably 10 fresh produce stands within 5 miles of me and I love it.  If you have the ability, you too should be visiting these farms often and stocking up on delicious and healthy fresh fruits and veggies.

If you think it’s easier just to go to the grocery store, you should read these reasons why you should be visiting farm stands and farmers markets near you:

Fresh produce.  The produce you buy here has come from a farm very near you which means it is FRESH.  Unlike much of the produce that you find at your local grocery stores where you have no idea how long it has been on a truck or in storage.  As a result, the produce simply tastes better!

Produce Lasts longer.  Because of the reasons listed above, you don’t always know how long you are able to store your produce, but you can be relatively sure that any produce that you buy from a farm stand was picked within the last several days.  I love this for my squash and apples specifically since I know I can store them for much longer than typical produce so I tend to stock up.

Support local businesses.  Buying local means that you are supporting local businesses and local farmers.  I love buying my produce from farm stands for many reasons, but this one is my favorite.  I love to support my neighbors!

More organic/non-GMO options.  If maintaining an organic and/or non-GMO diet is important to you, buying from local farm stands and farmers markets is a great way to do just that since many smaller, local farms grow more naturally, than a big commercial farm does.

It’s cheaper.  It’s true, local farm stands have much lower overhead than your big chain grocery stores and you will most often find that the produce is significantly less expensive!