Welcome Shoppers!

SMELL

GOOD FOOD HAS NOTHING TO HIDE

• Aromatic = Better. Quality produce has a noticeable, pleasant smell (think ripe peaches, tomatoes, herbs).


  
  

• No scent = Grown for storage, not flavor.


  
  

• Trust Your Nose for Off Odors
  Fresh Should Smell Fresh. Meats, fish, and dairy should have clean, mild scents. A sour, metallic, fishy, or ammonia-like smell means it’s past its prime—even if the date says its ok.

🎯TRY THIS: Smell a store tomato vs. a market tomato. The difference is obvious.

FEEL

YOUR HANDS FEEL WHAT’S FRESH

• Produce should feel alive and hydrated — not limp, shriveled, or spongey.
  Freshness shows through firmness and bounce.
  

• Heavier usually means denser — and more nutrient-packed.
  When in doubt, pick the one that feels more solid for its size.
  

• Tension tells the truth.
  Snap a bean, bend a top, press a leaf — fresh produce resists gently, not weakly.
  
  

🎯TRY THIS: At the market, find the ugliest tomato you can. Then find the prettiest. Which has best story?

LOOK

REAL FOOD DOESN’T ALWAYS LOOK PERFECT

• Rich, deep colors often signal higher nutrient density (e.g., dark green spinach).
  

• Pale or washed-out produce? Often a sign it was picked early and ripened artificially.
  

• Shape: Slightly irregular shapes are OK! Uniform produce often signals industrial farming.
  Nature isn’t perfect.
  

• Avoid produce that looks overly waxed, shiny, or dried. Natural skin should feel alive—firm, not brittle; matte, not plastic.

🎯TRY THIS: At the market, find the ugliest tomato you can. Then find the prettiest. Which has best story?

ASK

CURIOUS SHOPPERS GET BETTER FOOD

• “Was this grown for flavor and nutrition, or for yield and shelf life?” Reveals if quality mattered more than output.
  

• “What are your personal favorites right now?”
  Farmers eat the best — their picks show what’s truly ripe.

• “Do you know when this was picked?” Just one extra day can impact taste and nutrients.
  

• “How was it grown or raised?”
  Soil, feed, and care shape both flavor and nutrition.

🎯TRY THIS: Ask one vendor what they wouldn’t buy from their own stand today. You’ll learn more in 30 seconds than an hour of Googling.

TASTE

TRUST YOUR TASTE BUDS — THEY KNOW

• Farmers markets and grocery stores often offer samples.


  

• Sweet, rich flavor usually = more minerals and better-growing conditions.


  

• Bland or watery = likely lower quality.



🎯TRY THIS: One bite is worth a thousand claims. Taste before you trust it.

STORY

BEHIND EVERY BITE, THERE’S A STORY

• Ask: “Do you know the grower?” “Where was this grown?” or “What are your farming practices?”


  

• Food grown with care often comes with a name, a place, or a method (e.g., cover cropping, compost, no synthetic inputs).


  

🎯TRY THIS: Ask who grew it and how. Good food usually comes with a name.