Today is Saturday, so we headed out to our local farmers market to buy produce. I tend to buy the bulk of our produce here. It is usually just me and the kids on these excursions so I have a method to these trips. Two kids on the loose, with crowds, is not how I like to kick off my weekend.
I start planning for our trip the day before by going to the ATM and getting cash. Some farmers markets accept credit cards, ours does not. During dinner on Friday night we usually discuss what we are looking to purchase and the kids make a list. My children are preschool age, so the list is a drawing of the items they want.
Our market opens at 8 AM and I like to arrive around that that time. The crowds haven't yet gathered, so you can do a loop and survey the wares before making a single purchase. There is no fixed pricing, the prices vary from vendor to vendor.
Since my children are small and can be wanders, I settle them into a wagon. If you have babies that fit in a baby carrier that is an ideal way to shop. I once made the very rookie mistake of bringing my large jogging stroller around 11 and it was a nightmare trying to navigate the crowds. If you need to bring the big stroller out, make sure you arrive early.
You need to be a little flexible when shopping the farmers market, the food is coming straight from the farmer to you. If it isn't grape season, you cannot expect to find grapes. I go with an idea of what I want to purchase but if something else catches my eye I might buy that instead. It may take longer than going to the supermarket but it makes an activity of a chore and is a wonderful learning experience for your children.
How do you shop, do you wing it or stick to a list?
 |
Our Picks
|
No comments:
Post a Comment