Do you get bored of cooking and eating the same food over and over? Or perhaps you’re seeking some inspiring ingredients to get you excited about cooking again? Why not visit your local farmers market this weekend to experience some of the Perth’s best fresh produce, direct from local growers? Here are six reasons why we think you should shop at your local farmers market this weekend:

• Support your local farmers

Buying locally grown food, direct from the farm gate, helps support your local economy. It means diverting money from multi million dollar food conglomerates so that it can go straight into the farmer’s pockets. Giving back to our local farmers helps combat today’s globalised economy.

• Eating seasonal fruits and veggies

When you shop at farmer’s markets the selection of fruits and vegetables will change with the seasons. Fruits and vegetables grown in their true season are typically fresher and more flavoursome and your taste buds will be much happier! Eating seasonally means waiting with anticipation for the change of seasons, as each new season brings a different selection of fruit and veggies to the table – mangoes and cherries in summer, asparagus in spring and pumpkin in winter. This will enable you to feel more connected to earth.

• Reduce your carbon footprint

Foods coming from local markets are transported shorter distances, which means less carbon dioxide emissions than if your food is being shipped across the globe. Eating locally also reduces packaging waste involved in global transportation.

• Get the freshest and tastiest selection

The fresh produce sourced from your local market generally has a superior taste to their supermarket counterparts. Fruits and vegetables taste like they are meant to be and not like water! Being on a market stall, they are able to ripen fully just before being eaten, rather than being frozen during transport and storage. The beautiful aromas of fresh food in farmers markets invite you to purchase real food, and not processed ones that come in a box, encouraging you to make healthy eating choices for your and your family.

• Less impact on your wallet

Foods bought at farmers markets are often more affordable that in supermarkets, especially when choosing those in season, due to reduced transport, marketing, staff and many other costs involved in running a supermarket. In the long term, eating real, unprocessed food will have a positive impact on your health. A healthy diet means saving on healthcare costs in the future.

• A more pleasant experience

Shopping at your local farmers markers is a fun experience for the whole family and makes for a relaxing weekend adventure. It’s a great place to gather with your community. Usually, farmers markets are outdoors which enable you to take in fresh air and enjoy the sunshine.

Seven farmers markets in the Perth northern suburbs:

• Stirling Farmers Markets – Stirling
• Poynter Farmers Market – Duncraig
• St Stephen’s Community Farmer’s Market – Tapping
• Wanneroo Markets – Wangara
• Subiaco farmers market – Subiaco
• Eden Beach farmers market – Jindalee
• Kyilla Community Farmers Market – North Perth

Written by Alessia Floyd, Live Well Physio.