Above: Yellow-Green Farmers Market- A farmers market in Hollywood, Florida is known for its large variety of products. Yellow-Green offers fruits, vegetables and even artwork. The picture above displays a vegetable booth. 

The supermarket is a common destination when purchasing groceries. Most do not even consider visiting a local farmers market. But according to the Miami Herald in the last five years the amount of farmers markets in the United States has increased by 76 percent and over half the driving population lives within 15 minutes of a farmers market. So why not? Below are 5 reasons why one should support local farmers markets. 

 1. Fruits and vegetables that are sold at the farmers markets are fresh. They are given all the time they need to ripen naturally. This differs from the common practice of using gas to stimulate the ripening process. Farmers often are forced to gas their crops in order to ensure they reach their destination without losing value. Farmers markets are able to avoid this process because of their close proximity to the food source. Perishable foods arrive without damage and fewer loss of nutrients.

2. Food found in farmers markets is minimally processed compared to the average food found at the supermarket. Food found at a common supermarket can include hormones, antibiotics and genetic modifications (GMO) to accelerate the ripening process.  Some possible determinants of consuming food that includes GMOs or antibiotics include Immuno-suppression, loss of nutrition and antibiotic resistance.

3. The farmers market has a variety of foods that, believe it or not, you might not find at a supermarket. Although this depends on the season, some exotic fruits found at farmers market include mamey sapote, guinep, jackfruit and coco frio.

4. When food is purchased from a farmers market you know exactly where the food comes from. You can physically meet the farmer that is farming the food you purchase. The food you find at the supermarket can be avocados from California or tomatoes from Canada.

5. Farmers markets provide actual one-on-one conversations with the people who farm the food. Farmers often offer exclusive tips on how to prepare the food they offer, while the plastic wrapped fruits and vegetables in supermarkets do not.   

Farmers markets within 30 minutes radius: Josh’s Organic Garden, Yellow Green Farmers Market, Upper East Side Farmers Market and Produce One Farmers.