Reasons Why You Should Shop Douglasville’s Farmers & Artisans Market.

Being as I love working and cooking with fresh ingredients, I recently took a trip out to the Farmers & Artisans Market located at 6695 Church Street to see if there was space for me to share my love of shopping local and eating healthier with visitors of the market. Well there was, and while I was there I actually got the chance to meet with several vendors including Heritage Farms and Hardy’s Bakery. I also saw several artisan vendors located throughout the market where you could purchase beaded jewelry, soaps, and other handmade crafts.  Now, I know that everyone isn’t a shop local kind of person. Life is busy, and sometimes it is far easier to just stop on the way home, grab something from the store or drive thru, and go home. I get it. But let me explain why it’s a good thing for you to shop locally at your Farmer’s Market (at least sometimes). 

1. You can get fresh, seasonal ingredients at low prices because there is no middle man involved. The products come straight from the farmer to you. No going through a factory, or sitting on a truck while being driven thousands of miles away and losing valuable nutrients. No paying extra overheard. Just buy, pack and freeze when you get home. That way all of your nutrients are locked in tight and so is your budget. Not sure about how to do it?  Come to the market, I can show you how. 

2. You get to taste fresh foods. Not sure if you will like rhubarb or swiss chard? Farmers normally offer a sample of little known or not so popular foods as an incentive to try something new. Need to know how to cook it? Come to the market, I can show you how.

3. You can bring the kids for a fun and educational learning experience. They can learn where their foods come from and meet the actual growers.  They can also help with making selections. We all know that kids are more likely to eat something that they helped to pick and prepare, right? Bring a rainbow chart or a myplate chart and let them help you get all the colors and the serving sizes to build a healthy plate. Need a Chart? Come to the Market. I can give you one.

4. You can get a demo in preparing all kinds of jellies, jams, sauces, stocks, etc. If you’ve always wanted to cook but didn’t believe you could ever learn. Come to the Market, I can show you how.

5. You have a Cooking Matters at the Store Representative right at your fingertips. I can show you how to shop the market, stay on your diet, and give you tips on preparing your foods. So if you need to know how to shop a Farmer’s Market? You guessed it! I can show you how!

6. Last but definitely not least, you can always shop the crafts if you’re just not that in to cooking. With new vendors being added every week, you can make Wednesday evenings, 3pm-7pm, a regular day at the plaza. Grab a friend and come out to get your gourmet soaps from The Painted Lady Soap Company, jewelry, and a fresh pastry from Hardy’s Bakery. Then sit down and watch a cooking show, or take a stroll through the plaza and downtown. It’s the perfect way to unwind after a long day at work.

So as you can see, Douglasville’s Farmers and Artisans Market has a lot to offer. From fresh foods to handmade crafts, the options are endless. Need to see it to believe it? Well…..Come to the Market. I can show you where.

Douglasville Farmer and Artisan Market is open on Wednesdays from 3pm-7pm with two cooking shows, 4:00pm and 5:30pm.