Tips to make Farmers’ Market trip even more enjoyable

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than putting my money directly into the hands of the people who grow my food.” So said Susan Herrmann Loomis, chef and author, at a cooking class I took last summer. I couldn’t agree more. A trip to the local farmers’ market, wherever I happen to be, is one of my Saturday morning rituals. At home or abroad, overseas or just away for the weekend, I make it a habit to seek out seasonal produce, artisan foods, unique crafts and fresh flowers.

Our very own Umpqua Valley Farmers Market opens Saturday (2400 NW Stewart Parkway, across from Office Depot). As a dedicated shopper (and former vendor), here are some tips for making the most of a farmers market experience:

1. Try to arrive early in the day. You’ll find the best selection if you shop during the first hour or so after opening. If you show up too early, the vendors will still be setting up their booths and some markets don’t allow any early bird sales. If you wait too late, your favorite item might be sold out and on hot days the sun will have begun to take a toll on the produce.

2. Bring a large tote bag or sturdy basket. I find a bag easier to handle, but a deep, flat-bottomed basket is especially nice when you’re buying transplants or heavy items like watermelons or pumpkins.

3. If you plan to do errands after the market, it’s a good idea to put a cooler or insulated bag in your car to keep produce fresh until you get home. I keep an inexpensive styrofoam cooler in my car all the time, just in case I need it.

4. Fresh cut flowers are a bargain at farmers’ markets. Bring a tip-proof container with some water in it to keep them from wilting. This works well — cut a 3 or 4-inch hole in the top of a plastic gallon milk jug, just below the original opening, leaving the handle intact. Put 2-3 inches of pebbles or a brick in the bottom, and a few inches of water. This stable “vase” will keep your bouquet standing upright and fresh for hours.

5. Know the market rules about pets. Some markets allow pets if they are kept on a leash, but please keep them away from food products and clean up after them when necessary!

6. Walk all the way through the market once before buying anything. Even at large, big-city markets this is a hard and fast rule with me. I want to see all of my choices, sample new items and compare quality and price before I make a purchase.

7. Be aware of your children. Bringing your children to the market is a great idea and can quickly become a family tradition. It’s a wonderful way to help them make connections between the farm, the farmer and the food they eat. Just be sure to keep an eye on them and train them to look with their eyes, not with their hands. When I was a vendor, I had to keep a closer eye on children who wanted to handle my baked goods than on the big dogs, who sat patiently while their owners made a purchase.

8. Don’t waste time haggling! While this can be an interesting part of experiencing foreign cultures, in American markets it is rarely appreciated. The vendors provide you with premium-quality, homegrown, just-picked, hand-crafted products. They set what they feel is a fair price for their hard work. You can choose to pay it or not, but haggling over every tomato and pepper is not part of the tradition in this country.

Bartering, however, may be acceptable. I have been known to trade freshly baked bread for produce. Once you get to know the vendors, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they are interested in an exchange of goods.

9. Bring cash. Unless you know a vendor very well, checks are not generally accepted. Fives and ones are always appreciated. Vendors prepare a cash box with enough small bills to get started, but if the first 15 customers pay with twenties, someone’s going to have to make a run for change.

10. Don't overlook the crafts and artwork. Farmers’ markets are about more than food! They are a great place to buy one-of-a-kind gifts — baskets, jewelry, polished gems, aprons, wooden toys, furniture, candles, clothing, garden art, pottery — directly from the people who make them.

One final bit of advice ... break all of the above rules when necessary! If I were to stumble upon a farmers’ market at 10 minutes to closing, with a carload of kids, a dog, no tote bag or cooler and only coins, plastic and a checkbook in my purse, I would still stop! There is a gravitational pull, a magnetic attraction that draws me toward fruit without stickers and buckets of sunflowers. Give it a try and you may just get hooked too.