ARLINGTON, Texas – Have you ever wondered where the produce you buy comes from? Or how long has it been sitting in refrigeration since you bought it?
In recent years, many consumers have begun to ask these questions, and more and more people are talking about the quality of products and produce available at a typical grocery store. While some see no problem with not knowing the origins of their products, others have grown skeptical about big-name grocery stores and what they are selling.
Farmers markets grow in popularity
To ease their worries, many people have begun to shop at farmers markets, which provide local, farm-fresh produce to people who want to know where they are getting their food from and for people who want to support the local farmers who provide the produce.
Green’s Produce & Plants, a farmers market located at 3001 W. Arkansas Lane in Arlington, has provided Arlington residents with local produce from farms across Texas dating back to 1969. From fruits and vegetables to a variety of nuts and homemade jams and juices, all the food at Green’s is local.
While typical grocery stores buy products in large quantities to have for the large number of customers who shop every day, Green’s orders in smaller quantities to ensure freshness for the products that are bought by customers.
“Some grocery stores will have at least a two-week supply in their warehouse, which will just sit there before actually being shipped to the store, so once it reaches the store it already has a bit of age,” said Scott Sutton, Green’s store manager.
Farm to table
With many grocery stores buying their products from suppliers all over the world, pinpointing exactly where a product comes from proves to be a very difficult task.
“It’s nice to know where your ingredients are coming from and knowing that the place you’re shopping from is buying ethically,” Rick Willford, a Green’s customer, said. “It allows me to do additional research or reach out to the supplier if I want to know more information about the product.”
While shopping at grocery stores isn’t a bad thing, many factors such as saving money and convenience play a big role in why people settle for grocery stores over farmers markets.
Farmers market shoppers said they prefer farmers markets because of knowledgeable employees. If they have questions about products, they know they’ll be able to get answers.
As customers have questions about the products, farmers’ markets and the employees who work there can answer the questions customers may have. Sutton said that it’s difficult to go to a grocery store and ask employees for information about the produce because many of them don’t really know much about their suppliers.
For farmers markets, the goal is to ensure the highest quality of food is being purchased and offered to the customers. With grocery stores having to buy produce for cheaper prices to allow them to sell it cheaper than some farmers markets, the quality of the produce can sometimes be of questionable quality.
Quality trumps price for some consumers
“I try to buy everything that I can for the best quality I can find even though sometimes the price will be a bit higher than those at grocery stores, but I think the quality makes up for the price,” Sutton said. “A lot of the people who do shop here are because they want to find the best produce that they can find. It also is because of health reason since everything I buy is non-GMO, and if it has been fertilized, it’s been fertilized very little.”
Green’s customers acknowledge the slightly higher prices but see their purchases as an opportunity to support the local farmers across the DFW Metroplex and across Texas.
“I’ve always believed in supporting local farmers,” customer Ruth Bilbo said. “They need all our help, and knowing the produce is local feels good.”
Many customers note the importance farmers have for our economy and our lives in general.
“Farmers are the backbone of our country, and it’s important to keep our farming ecosystem alive and support them anyway we can,” customer Miguel Sanchez said.
Green’s also provides customers with the opportunity to buy seeds for fruits and vegetables to plant in their homes and gardens. Sutton said that many people do like to have their own gardens while also growing flowers and other plants. Planting flowers helps with pollination, essential for food crops.
To hear an audio story about Green’s Produce & Plants, please click here.
