Living in Hawaii, we're lucky enough to have year-round access to a plethora of excellent Farmers' Markets. These markets provide quality, delicious produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, and a variety of other artisan products. Getting your food directly from the source means you can buy with confidence knowing that the product is minimally processed and handled, and doesn't have many of the harmful pesticides that big factory farms use.
Some more great reasons to shop locally:
1. You'll save money! By buying directly from the farmer, you're eliminating the need for shipping and processing. This will save you money, and to boot, you're getting a better, fresher product. This particularly holds true for organic items.
2. You'll reduce your carbon footprint. It's estimated that food travels nearly 1500 miles before it gets to your plate. Not only does this contribute to global warming, but it also means that food is stored for long periods of time, draining its freshness and reducing its quality.
3. Fresher food! Most produce is picked immediately before it's arrival at the farm stand. The food is normally not refrigerated or frozen prior to delivery. As a bonus, most markets also offer fresh meat, eggs, and even homemade cheeses. The quality is undoubtedly superior to what you'll find in a large supermarket.
4. You're supporting local businesses. Small farms are a dying breed. The larger factory farms are focused more on quantity than quality, and the nutritional value of the food often suffers. By buying locally, you're supporting the efforts of hard-working farmers and supporting your area's economy. You're also able to ask the farmer directly about their product, and often times you can even visit their farm!
Here are some of our favorite local markets:
Ala Moana
Saturdays, 8:00 am-12:00pm
Hale'iwa
Sundays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Hawaii Kai
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm
Kailua
Thursdays, 5:00 pm-7:30 pm
Kapiolani
Saturdays, 7:30 am-11:00 am
This is only a sampling of all the FM's on Oahu. More and more communities are adding their own markets, so be sure to check out your community Web site and also check out this list from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also regularly posts vendor directories and menus from local markets on their Twitter account, @hnlfarmers.
Tomorrow we'll be posting some helpful tips for buying locally. Hope to see some of you at the markets!
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