Head to a Local Farmer’s Market for Your Veggies and Fruits – and Take Your Bags
Stock Your Vehicle With Reusable Bags
The first step in becoming more ecoconscious about your purchases is to simply put your reusable bags in your vehicle. Once there, they might inspire you to remember to take them in with you!
Bill chose these shopping bags from BeeGreen. I was surprised at his choice. I had no idea he even thought about grocery shopping! Once we used the BeeGreen bags; we realized how incredibly great they are. Cashiers even ask us about where we got them!
They are far more compact than the papery-cloth bags sold near grocery checkouts that don’t really compact much.
Get Ready For Heavy Produce Choices
Those bags from BeeGreen also can handle quite the heavy load. We packed them with pineapple, coconut, potatoes, and pounds of everything else.
Also, their handles are so comfortable for carrying heavy vegetables. In addition, they have a smart clip to keep the tidy storage bag with the shopping bag.
In fact, I liked them so much that I ordered a set for my own vehicle. In different colors, of course.
Prepare for Small Items
Bill chose these Stashers bags for me. They are amazing – you can boil in them, you can cook in them, freeze in them, and even toss them in the dishwasher!
Stashers are the perfect size for the normal amount of Brussels sprouts or cherry tomatoes.
Mesh Bags and Dust Bags
Check your closet for any mesh bags or dust bags you have received when purchasing other products.
One of ours came from a Hide and Drink Firewood Bag. It’s surprising how many items now come in “dust bags” that make perfect potato or onion bags!
The mesh bags are borrowed from our shark hunting and Scuba diving supplies. You can find plenty of sets of small mesh bags specifically designed for produce.
Open Air
One of the beauties of heading to a local farmer’s market is that it’s likely fairly open.
It’s a chance to shop – but outside. Since I work indoors, anytime I can accomplish shopping and still be outside; that’s a great option.
Fewer Crowds
While our local farmer’s market looks a bit close; it’s actually very open.
Our technique is to wait until the “crowd” thins out – to none- then go in and make our selections.
Bring Your Small Bags
Since our market recycles their display crates and containers, we bring several small mesh bags.
These are perfect for tomatoes, tomatillos, tomatillos, cubanelles, and more.
Bags With Gussetts
Gussets – it’s so much fun to say – make all the difference in your reusable silicone zipper bags.
These that I ordered two weeks ago from OUTXE are not available right now. I know because I like them so much, I wanted to order more.
However, Gridlabs Reusable Storage Bags come in a set with a few gusseted bags. FYI; they don’t call them “gusseted,” they call them “stand up.”
Oh-So – Pleasing
One bonus of using colorful, reusable storage bags is that you feel good about yourself, and, they look so cut in your fridge!
Make note of those gussets – I mean – stand-up bags.
New Experiences
As long as you’re at the farmers market – pick up a few choices that you know next to nothing about.
We picked up cubanelles, poblanos, and tomatillos. While we have baked with poblanos, we had no experience with the other two.
It was fun looking up recipes and experimenting with new flavors.
Sunshine and Smiles
An added bonus to shopping a farmers market. It might be locally-owned, which feels better than contributing to a corporate giant.
