Farmers markets are a fantastic way of purchasing locally sourced and seasonal produce. There are so many benefits to eating local and seasonal food!

Seasonal fruits and veggies don’t use much energy to reach our plate. A tomato picked from your garden or bought from your local market stall has a far smaller carbon footprint compared to a tomato which has travelled from interstate, or even overseas! This means that much less fossil fuels are burned in the journey of your meal from paddock to plate. We can also save so much money from buying our food when it is at the peak of its supply. Adopting a seasonal approach can even mean you get to sample new fruits and vegetables you may not have tried before, which increases your dietary variety and optimises you nutritionally!

Buying local means that you get to support smaller farms and businesses in your community, and you are more likely to be putting your money where your taste buds are because buying seasonally and locally means you get the best tasting foods! Foods bought in season and grown close to you don’t lose flavour or nutrition before they get to your plate.

My favourite local market haunt is none other than The Adelaide Central Markets.

You can’t beat the hustle and bustle atmosphere of these markets, particularly on a Saturday afternoon before the markets close for Sunday and Monday, when all the produce gets cleared from the stall shelves and centred in the aisles at incredible discount prices! This is when you can save super dollars on your food shopping. I have seen avocados and punnets of strawberries go for $1 !!!

These markets are not only home to cheap and delicious fruits and vegetables, but to fresh fish, meats and wholegrains. House of Health is my favourite for nuts, seeds, dried legumes, dried fruits and mueslis.

Skala Bakery is my go to for organic breads, particularly on a Saturday afternoon where you can often steal two loaves for $3! They have every type of bread from my favourite dark rye and olive loaf to sun dried tomato and corn bread.

For fruits and vegetables I can’t go past Bill B’s family run business at store 37. Not only are the fruits and veggies of top quality but they are grown locally at a farm in Virginia, and the grower himself is often happy to share growing tips! Other perks of shopping there include stopping for a chat about the local market goss with the owners!

The best thing about shopping at your local farmers markets is the relationships you build with the people behind counters, something which has become obsolete in supermarkets. A close second to that is the abundance of free taste testers!