While some people go to the farmers market for the experience, many others use it as another way to save on groceries.
For shopper Lulu Sampson, finding grocery deals at a farmers market tops her list.
"If you are smart and you know where to look. I think you can save a lot of money."
Sampson says on average she can save about $100 a month on groceries.
"What is your game plan, or how do you save money right now? Well, I look at what I need. If I can get it cheaper at a supermarket, I will. But especially with like, lemons, or herbs, or onions, garlic things like that."
Brijet Myers, the market operator at the Little Italy Farmers Market, says if you do some research before you shop, you can tailor your meals to items that will give you more bang for your buck — such as focusing on what's in season.
"I'd say buy everything that's grown and harvested in abundance. So right now, for instance, we have a lot of melons. We have a lot of like summer squash; the greens are coming out."
Juan Martinez and his family own Heritage Family Farms. Because they handle everything from start to finish, they cut out most of the operating and distribution costs — which means they can be more flexible with their sale price to customers.
"The more you buy, the more you save here too. We have deals like two baskets for five [dollars] or 3 for 10 [dollars]."
Martinez also says because customers are getting produce directly from farms, they know where their food is being harvested from and can see how much they're really getting.
Martinez sells three heads of lettuce for $10. Compare that to a bag of chopped lettuce, which costs between $3 to $4.
"One bag of chopped lettuce is pretty much probably going to be only like one head of lettuce if you chop it up."
Also keep in mind — gone are the days of having to pay just cash at farmers markets. Many places now accept credit cards, debit cards, and other forms of payment.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
