Idaho celebrates local farmer’s markets

This week is Idaho Farmer’s Market Week.

These local markets are becoming increasingly popular in communities across the country, and in the Upper Valley, too.

When most people think of grocery shopping, supermarkets, crowded aisles and shopping carts come to mind. But there is another way of buying produce.

“The public can come and buy straight from the growers and get to know who grows their food,” said Lisa Jones, Rexburg Farmer’s Market manager.

Farmer’s markets have been around as long as farmers have. At the Rexburg farmer’s market, local-area farmers have been providing the community with fresh fruits and veggies for the last four years. Organizers said it’s good for the economy and good for you to support local growers. They said what you can get at a farmer’s market beats buying the same item at a supermarket.

“When you buy your food at the farmer’s market, it’s less than 24 hours old,” said Jones. “It’s been picked usually that morning, sometimes the night before for certain things, but most of the time it’s picked the day of the market.”

Students at BYU-Idaho also hold a farmer’s market and offer produce they’ve grown themselves. BYU-I student James Williamson helps run the market. He said they can teach shoppers how to pick the best produce.

“You can smell right here where it was here and if it smells like a ripe cantaloupe then that’s good,” said Williamson. “You can also knock on it and it should sound like a wooden door. So those are two good ways to tell if you have a good cantaloupe or not.”

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there close to 7,000 farmer’s markets throughout the country, showing that getting produce the local route is becoming increasingly popular.

You can also find farmer’s markets in Idaho Falls, Blackfoot and Pocatello.