The typical vegetable now travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate. Now’s the season to buck the trend and reconnect with your food at your local farmers’ market. Here’s how.

1. If possible, plan to walk, ride a bike, or take public transit to your farmers’ market. Parking can be a hassle. Mid-week markets are quieter, but weekenders often have the best selection.

2. Shop early in the day to get the best food and to avoid missing out on unusual items.

3. Arrive with sturdy cloth bags, a backpack, or a basket, and plan to pay cash. Bring more money than you think you’ll need, and lots of small bills and change.

4. Three ways to save money: First, walk the whole market to check prices. Second, look for foods at their peak of seasonal abundance. Third, make arrangements with market farmers to buy bulk at a discount or to visit their farms for U-pick savings.

5. Shop smart. A head of farmers’ market lettuce can appear higher priced than at the megamart, but may also be much larger. Many people find they need smaller amounts of market foods when cooking because fresh food is more flavorful.

6. Bring the kids. The market experience goes a long way toward raising children who eat their vegetables, and there is often kids’ entertainment on site.

7. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. When was the corn picked? How do you cook squash flowers? How “free range” are the “free-range chickens”?

8. Ask for a taste and offer to pay for it. Buying one tomato may save you from canning a bushel of tasteless ones.

9. Experiment! Most farmers are happy to suggest ways to prepare a food you’ve never tried before. Buy ugly food–strange looking fruits and vegetables are often heritage varieties bred for taste rather than shelf life or visual appeal.

10. Organic food is everyone’s market favorite, but don’t ignore conventional growers. In some locations, organic certification is out of reach for market gardeners. Ask farmers what chemicals they use on their food; you may decide to choose low-spray products that are better priced.

11. Plan to go home right after the market, or bring a cooler. Frozen foods such as meat and fish are increasingly common at markets.

12. Seasonal eating calls for different meal planning. Instead of picking a recipe and then shopping for the ingredients, buy what’s in season and then look for recipes to match.

13. Use the internet. Many farms now have websites with everything from foodie philosophy to photos of the living conditions of farm animals. The web is also excellent for finding markets as well as info on how to use the goodies you bring home.

Got a farmers’ market tip or story? Let us know.

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