By Colleen Rothe

Besides the cost of fuel to transport our food, there’s another hidden cost to our food that is overshadowed by $133 per oil barrel. It’s the domination of the big commercial farms.

However, for the last 15 years, there’s been a food revolution of sorts. Municipal parking lots or soccer fields are turned into thriving farmers’ markets for one day a week during the prime growing season months of April through October.

As little as 30 years ago, the Washington State Farmers Market Association counted fewer than 20 markets as members. By last year that number was more than 100 markets. The increase was spurred by ever-increasing desires by consumers to have fresh, healthily-grown foods available that weren’t trucked or flown in from hundreds or thousands of miles away. Additionally, the markets brought the added benefit of creating a weekly fair-like atmosphere that united its community and enticed tourists.

But farmers’ markets have gotten a bad rap as of late as something chi-chi, where only the rich can shop, where those who have to pinch pennies are out of luck.

Simply, this is not true. Especially when you consider there is no middle man, it’s straight from the earth or source directly to you, the consumer.

I hit three of the farmers’ markets in my area recently and compared the prices with that of my local QFC and Safeway markets. What I found was that the farmers’ market prices were cheaper than the local super market. Sometimes that savings was up to 15 percent. But the biggest savings, in my mind, was I knew it was local, it was fresh, and grown in a more healthy fashion. Also, I was able to get to know the growers and support my community and neighbors.

Granted, I couldn’t buy all my desired produce at the farmers’ market and that may be where these diamond-in-the-rough sellers have gotten their bad rap. American, really since the 1950s, have not had to change their eating habits with the natural seasons. We can get apples all year round, not just in the fall. We can have a banana any time we want. We just have to go to the grocery store. But that produce-on-demand attitude has created a market atmosphere where we have gotten away from our roots as a community, a village, if you will.

It’s also created a monster of an agriculture business that isn’t always the healthiest for the consumer, as well as the planet.

If you want to save money, along with getting back to a more traditional community-focused way of life, the farmers’ market is a good start. But you do have to come with cash in hand (most don’t take debit or credit cards) and adjust your market thinking.

Instead of planning your weekly meals form your cookbook, your meals are planned for you by the Market. It’s quite an adventure. So you have to be flexible in what you will eat. Now, I’m not saying that you have to give up meat or start eating meat, but you have to be willing to try new things. Your flexibility will not only introduce you to new culinary delights; you’ll also enjoy savings. Buying in season is always cost-cutting where the food budget is concerned.

Additionally, the farmers’ market is a good place to work on your social skills. As you get to know the vendors (the growers / farmers), and you chat away with them, a relationship builds. For instance, if you let the grower know that the honey in your tea this morning was delightful, or the zucchini you purchased from her last week was the hit of the weekend barbeque, you very well might find yourself with some extra savings. In this particular scenario, flattery just might get you somewhere.

Another way to save money at a farmers’ market is to bring a friend. Larger purchases – bulk if you will – reap larger savings for the consumer. And a grower is often very happy to sell you the last flat of raspberries cheaper, so he or she has less to haul back to the farm. Additionally, you can add another layer to your food savings if you buy in bulk and then can and/or freeze your purchases. This past winter we enjoyed tasty blueberries and strawberries that still tasted fresh from the farm, because we bought in bulk and flash-froze them at the peak of their ripeness and flavor.

And the economy of bartering is still alive and well at the farmers’ market. There was a woman last year, who I overheard making a deal with one of the growers. She bartered to make an heirloom quilt for one of the berry farmers in exchange for berries for her family for the entire season. As a consumer, you might have skills – music lessons, housecleaning, marketing, computer skills, and the like – which you could barter in trade with the growers.

Also, right now many of the farmers’ markets are selling garden seedlings. If you want to have your own little mini farm in your yard, on your deck or balcony, they’re also a higher-quality choice for garden starts.

The bottom line is your town or city’s farmers’ market is a source of healthy, less expensive foods that treats the earth kindly, as well as your wallet.

You can find your community’s farmers’ market likely listed here: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/.

Then grab some cash and a cloth sack and head out for an adventure in food savings and discovery.