"Farm Fresh or Store-Bought: The Ultimate Showdown"

Farmers Markets vs Supermarkets

Are you someone who has never shopped at a farmers market before and have only ever shopped at supermarkets? I was the same, until I took the leap to try out my local farmers market and I have never been able to look at food the same since. Why? Well, in this piece I will put towards you the reasoning as to why, I believe, that farmers markets are far superior to supermarkets and why they are a much more healthier option for you in comparison to supermarkets. Sound good? Right then, let’s jump straight in.

What do farmers markets offer?

Farmers markets offer a vast array of produce ranging from foods, to drinks and more. The products they sell are freshly grown produced with minimal tampering done to them - by the end of this piece, you will realise how important this statement is.

The foods from farmers market range from freshly cut grass-fed meats, to free-range pasture raise eggs, fresh fruit juices along with season picked fruit & veg, hot foods for those feeling hungry/peckish, freshly made sourdough bread and the list goes on. But what makes this better than a supermarket? Let me explain…

When comparing the meats produced at a farmers market, in comparison to a supermarket, the difference is night and day. The colour and texture of the meat is far superior, the animals are, more often than not, grass-fed and have the ability to roam the fields they live in - this produces far superior quality of meat as the animals would have lived an ideal and healthier life. The animals will not have been fed grass which has already been cut up and fed to them in a warehouse and they’re not imprisoned 24/7, which diminishes their quality of life. What you need to understand is that cows or any other wildlife of the sort, are NOT CAUSING CLIMATE CHANGE. You would be foolish to only listen to the psyop on the news and anywhere else. Things are created for a reason, things happen for a reason. The cattle graze the fields, the fields produce the right nourishment for the cattle for which they need, this helps to make and keep the cattle healthy, the cattle produce high quality dairy products and meat because of the healthy lifestyle (for them) that they live. For more information on this, read some of my articles regarding Red Meat, Raw Milk & Milk.

Now, supermarket meat is not the same quality as farmers meat as the animals are not fed and looked after appropriately. Just look at the colour of the meat from supermarket meat to wild/farmers meat. The difference truly is night and day.

This comparison is the same for all the other produce from both respected sides.

Support for your local farmers

Now you have realised what farmers markets have to offer in regards to fresh produce, it’s now important for you to understand that you’re supporting your local community. When buying from these markets, you can almost be sure that your money is going directly to the producer. This also helps the environment. Why? Well, as we discussed, farmers are beneficial to the environment and our agriculture as the foods they produce are organic. Supermarkets on the other hand, stock mass produced goods which use unconventional farming methods.

Sustainability

Farmers will not be travelling overly long distances to sell their food to you. Where as supermarkets will be shipping in their goods from all sorts of different countries. Furthermore, farmers markets have less packaging when it comes to selling their goods, a lot of the goods are sold loose. When in comparison to supermarkets, a majority of the goods are all sold in plastic packaging which has got to be one of the worst substances that affect the health of man. Plastic greatly affects your endocrine system and is a leading cause as to the drastic increase in cancer rates from last 50+ years. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE as I will be making a post very shortly regarding plastic and how it has changed our lives… for the worse.

Healthier Options

The foods at farmers markets contain fewer chemicals - now this one should stick out like a sore thumb. These markets aim to produce organic products whilst avoiding pesticides. Supermarkets will spray the produce with GMO & other chemicals, which is actually doing more harm to the food and more importantly, TO YOU.

Due to the fact that farmers markets goods are harvested when they are at their best, when they are in season. This means that the goods being produced have higher and more essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and more. This provides for a much better taste and to ensure that you will be healthier.

Eating & Consuming Seasonly

This is a very important factor that people do not seem to understand and tend to look over. To eat a majority of your foods in line with the season. For example, during the winter, you’re not going to be eating exotic citrus fruits. Why? Because those fruits do not grow naturally around that time of year. This has been hard-wired into you from your ancestors (depending on where in the world they were from), and your body will have a tendency to be able to tolerate certain foods throughout certain times of the year. However, we may still eat some foods that are not in season, but it’s important that we do not rely too heavily on these foods. On the other hand, we may have some nutrient deficiencies and we may be required to eat different foods to help with the deficiencies. These may be foods our ancestors may never have had access to. So there is a balancing act here, something you must try to balance for yourself.

The Work Of Farmers

As previously mentioned, farmers (those who farm for themselves and not for supermarkets) work extremely hard through different conditions to be able to produce top quality goods, not only for themselves, but for people like yourself. In a time where farmers are being ridiculed for their work, and farms being stripped away from farmers, we need farmers more than ever. Why? Not everyone has got the ability to do the jobs that they do. With the right intensions, they provide us with quality food sources along with good agriculture as they aim to take care of wildlife and to protect and fertilise the lands in which they work on. Farming goes back many many years, dating back to the people of the Steppe, the Yamnaya culture, going on their nomadic adventures with their cattle to find more fertile lands for their cattle to be able to produce top quality food sources, and people beyond that. DO NOT FORGET THIS!

Pricing

You get what you pay for. By now, you must have realised that you are going to be getting the best quality food in comparison to supermarkets. Because at the end of the day, we are going for quality over quantity. Most of the pricing down at the markets are reasonable because we are paying for the quality. Of course some goods will be priced higher and this can depend on a few factors, for example, the size and rarity of the meat you are purchasing. Furthermore, what you need to understand, is that the people selling you their goods, need to make reasonable money off of them to continue to sell their goods at their given market. I would much rather slightly overpay at farmers markets than pay the prices at supermarkets. Why? Because of the quality of food.

What can you buy at farmers markets that supermarkets do not have?

Bone/Beef broth, freshly cut organic meat, hot foods and drinks, raw milk and pasteurised only milk (the same with creams & other dairy products), raw butter, organ meats (hearts, kidneys, liver, neck), raw cheeses, raw honey, fresh non-pesticide fruit and veg, fresh sourdough bread, raw honey, free to roam chicken eggs and the list goes on. At first glance you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Well hold on, my supermarket sells most of these goods. Why should I buy them from a farmers market?”. You’re right in the context that some supermarkets will sell some of these goods. But, if you have paid attention so far, the quality of these goods are far superior down the farmers market. Farmers markets are there to help you, not just use you for their own gain (in-terms of money) like supermarket chains.

Should you stop shopping in supermarkets?

Not necessarily. Some supermarkets will supply goods that farmers markets do not offer. If shopping in supermarkets suit you better, then by all means continue to do so. You may not have a farmers market close to you, hence you will be shopping in supermarkets. So there are different reasons as to why you would carry on shopping in a supermarket - even I buy some of my shopping from supermarkets because my local farmers markets does not sell everything that I want to purchase.

Now, the better quality the supermarket, the “better quality food” and higher pricing. For those reading that reside within England or the UK, Waitrose & M&S seem to be the better options to shop in. However, if money is more of a concern to you amongst other factors, then shop at the supermarket that is more reasonable for you.

But what about shopping online?

Slightly veering off from the question at hand, but shopping for food goods online can also help you out. This gives you a wide array to more goods that your local farmers market or supermarket may not even offer. Trust me, some of the goods they sell are too good to be sold in supermarkets.

The problems you may face with trying to shop online are the following: “What website is best?” and “This is much more expensive!”. Yes, it can take a bit of browsing and research to find which websites are best, but this is part and parcel of trying to find the best quality foods from a producer you can actually trust. And yes, it can be more expensive depending on what you buy along with shipping. For example, if you are going to buy raw milk online, you will find it can be a bit pricey as this stuff is golden is the sense that, it is pure, not everyone drinks it, it has a bad reputation (wrongly & unfortunately), and you can’t buy it in local stores. Well, not in England anyway.

The Takeaway

Stay away from these ^. But in all honesty, in my experience, I have found better success when shopping down at the farmers markets in comparison to supermarkets. You may share a similar experience or a not so great experience. At the end of the day, the decision for you to food shop wherever pleases you, is obviously your choice. I have but merely put this information towards you to tell you of my experience shopping at farmers markets, what they have to offer, and why they will help you. If you are someone who prioritises their health, then farmers markets are the way for you to go.

Farmers markets are great, supermarkets are not great but do provide some value, now it’s time for you to find your balance or preferred option.

Health is Wealth

*THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE*