Do you ever find yourself staring at the produce section of your neighborhood grocery store, thinking, ‘I’m so sick of having the same ol’ food every week?’
by Chef John Panza, Owner, BiGA
We all understand that it’s hard for grocery stores to constantly change inventory just because we are bored with the day in and day out fruits and veggies. While living in Prescott, I have found this to be even more common, as we don’t get the same, large selection of fresh food and produce you find in big city stores.
If you’re looking to change your weekly grocery shopping routine, while still aiming to eat healthy and support local businesses, I urge you to stop by the Prescott Farmers Market.
The Prescott Farmers Market is currently located in the parking lot for the Yavapai Regional Medical Center next to True Value every Saturday. There you can find a variety of fresh local produce — plucked from the ground or off the vine that day — local art, handmade crafts, fresh-baked bread, local roasted coffee, interactive activities, learning booths for kids, and more.
I encourage you to explore it. The information booth is a great place to start Staffed with knowledgeable and passionate workers and volunteers, these folks are more than happy to answer any and all questions. At times, especially in the summer, the number of different vendors at the market can be overwhelming.
My advice for market newbies is to choose one farm for your first visit, and try to make contact with the farmer, introduce yourself, let them know your goals and start to explore what they may offer in the near future.
I could go on and on about the benefits of shopping at your local farmers market, but we will focus on the health side for now. Just about every item sold at the market is good for you. These items are locally grown, hand-picked for perfect ripeness, pesticide and GMO-free, nonprocessed, grown with love and provide health and nourishment for you and your family.
Large grocery stores are still a necessity for some items, but nothing beats the benefits of shopping locally at the Prescott Farmers Market. An easy way to ramp up your healthy eating lifestyle is to start by buying produce and other food items locally at the Prescott Farmers Market,
Photo: Prescott Farmers Market