Shopping Local Farmers Markets in Laguna Hills

Every Friday my family hits up the Laguna Hills farmers market. There are many reasons we like to shop at local farmers markets, from savoring local fresh produce to chatting with the farmers directly. Our local farmers market in Laguna Hills is one of Orange County’s Certified Farmers’ Markets. This means they are inspected regularly by the county agriculture commissioner to ensure that only farmers who grow what they are selling are allowed to participate.

Here are our top reasons to shop farmers markets!

Reducing carbon footprint. Food in the U.S. travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Produce at the markets travels a much shorter distance, helping reduce shipping and package waste!
Support local families. Small family farms have a hard time competing in the food marketplace. Buying directly from farmers gives them a fighting chance in today’s economy.
Nourish yourself. Much food found in grocery stores is highly processed and grown using pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and genetic modification. Produce sold at farmers markets is often harvested fresh just days -or hours- before market, having been fully ripened in the field or on the vine.
Promoting humane treatment of animals. At the farmers market, you can find meats, cheeses, and eggs from animals that have been raised without hormones or antibiotics, who have grazed on green grass and eaten natural diets, and who have been spared the cramped and unnatural living conditions of feedlots and cages that are typical of animal agriculture.
Learn tips, recipes and more. Few grocery store cashiers or produce stockers will give you tips on how to cook the ingredients you buy, but farmers, ranchers, and artisans at the farmers market are often passionate cooks with plenty of free advice about how to cook the foods they are selling.