Shane Smith Offers Farmer’s Market Advice

Cheyenne Botanic Garden's Director Shane Smith says the best time to shop at a Farmer's Market depends on what your goals are.

Smith helped organize the first Farmer's Market in Cheyenne in 1980, and says such events offer a great opportunity to buy fresh produce. But Smith says while the quality of such produce can be high, you shouldn't necessarily expect lower prices that those at grocery stores.

He adds, however, that you can often get a good deal by shopping near the end of the market day, especially if you are willing to buy in bulk. That's because market vendors don't want to have to re-load their produce and take it back. Smith says if you are lucky you may even get a vendor to cut their price as much as 50 percent.

On the other hand, if your goal is the highest quality, you should hit the market soon after they open, before the best items are purchased by early shoppers.

Smith says common items, such as cantaloupe or tomatoes, may be offered at widely different prices, so you may want to check several vendors before making a purchase. That can also give you the opportunity to taste free samples to compare quality.

And finally Smith says you may want to ask vendors whether they actually grew the produce. He says middlemen often purchase produce from farmers and then sell it at the markets, meaning it may not be as fresh as that sold directly by farmers.