Always Bring This Tool To Farmers Markets For An Actually Enjoyable Experience

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The farmers market is a great way to shop local, eat what's in season, and romanticize life a little bit. Once you figure out logistics like the best time to shop at your local farmers market, be sure to bring along a wagon to haul your newfound goodies. Even if you don't plan to purchase enough to fill it to the brim, having a place to put your items and wheel them along will free up your arms and give your muscles a break. Instead of an exhausting market run, you'll have an enjoyable one.

If you don't have a wagon already, the Whitsunday Collapsible Folding Wagon even comes with a table attachment so you can go right from the farmers market to a picnic. Before you vow to never shop at the farmers market without one, make sure the specific market you're headed to allows wagons. You should be able to find this information online through the market's website or social media. If you can't find any information, you could always bring your wagon and leave it in the car if it isn't allowed. A wagon is a great start to becoming a farmers market expert, but if organized properly it can do more than just save your arms from juggling everything you purchase.

If you're a newbie to farmers markets or to the wagon game, it might be tempting to simply pile all your purchases in the wagon with no rhyme or reason. Not only is this a farmers market mistake that wastes money if anything gets damaged, but it also creates chaos for your future self. So, do yourself a favor and pack your wagon with care. A great way to organize is to keep certain foods together. You can do this by setting produce in one area, meat in another, and pantry items in yet another. You can also kick it up a notch and use something like a cart caddy which will clip to the sides of your wagon to create separate compartments that lift into shopping bags when you're ready to pack it all up.

Try adding a cooler to the wagon for perishable foods and beverages to prevent spoiling while also freeing you up to stay out as long as you like. Add ice to the cooler before heading to the market and place the food inside as you go. Just be sure to keep items like meat and poultry toward the bottom of the cooler and keep them cold by placing layers of ice around them. Use the top layer of your cooler for drinks, snacks, or items that won't be as adversely affected by frequent lid openings and exposure to warm air. Non-perishable items can be placed in the wagon around the cooler with breakable items like eggs ideally making up the top layer.