Market tips

Our 23 tomato varieties have now faded like the summer. And the sun goes down by 6:45, shortly after the end of our daily work regimen. Despite the seasonal shifts, our farmers markets continue well into November. So, here are a few quick shopping tips:

1. Shop early for the highest quality produce or late for the best prices. Vendors put out their top picks at the start of a market, so arriving at the opening bell is your best chance of snagging the tastiest produce. By contrast, during the last half hour, farmers often drop their prices to avoid taking home items that may not keep until a subsequent market, such as highly-perishable greens.

2. Ask about daily specials as discounts vary and may not be advertised. Eggplant prices may be set low, for example, due to an abundant harvest that week, or the cost of greens cut in half for purchases over 2 pounds. And if you plan to buy a lot of a particular item, you might even try negotiating a discounted price.

3. Examine before buying. The undersides of tomatoes may be blighted, the middle leaves of bunched chard splotchy, or berries at the bottom of a pint box rotten. Vendors may even try to hide these defects, cosmetic or otherwise, so inspect carefully before you buy. But for deals, consider buying items labelled "seconds", which are aesthetically blemished and therefore heavily discounted, but otherwise up to snuff.

4. Comparison shop as prices and quality vary dramatically between vendors. If you're feeling especially compulsive, make a pre-purchase lap around the market.

5. Try something new. Instead of buying tomatoes and lettuce try kholrabi or okra. Since starting on the farm, I've tried and loved my first chinese mulberry and kiwi grapes. Farmers will happily share their methods of cooking less conventional produce, and you can always find recipes online.