It seems like just yesterday that the schools opened their doors to let out impatient children

itching for long summer days filled with scraped knees, pools and sunburns. But the school season

eventually creeps up on us again, and we turn our minds to new notebooks, clothes shopping, and final

vacations. Here are 3 reasons why Farm Bureau farmers markets should also be on your back-to-school

to-do list.

Education

Murray and South Jordan farmers markets are food-only, meaning only food products can be

sold. You may think this would be a negative, as there aren’t any crafts or activities for children.

However, this opens an opportunity to make the visit more about education rather than simple fun.

Customers can meet local farmers and ranchers and ask questions about how the food was grown,

where, why, etc. This can help connect you and your children to the food growing process, and where

food comes from.

You can also ask and discover about different varieties of produce, how to determine ripeness,

or pest and weed prevention. For example, there are different varieties of peaches grown for different

purposes. Some are better for canning, and others are grown specifically for eating fresh. Before you go

to the market, encourage your children to think of a question about food, and then try to find an answer

at the market. You can also let your children pick a new vegetable each week and discover how to

prepare it. In the words of famous English Chef, Jamie Oliver, “If the kids don’t know what the stuff is,

they’ll never eat it.”

Make a Day of It

Murray farmers market is located right inside Murray park, and South Jordan is in the middle of

the Town Center. Both locations offer additional activities outside of the market. You could buy

ingredients for a picnic, or do some additional shopping. If you live close by, you could even walk to the

markets and save yourself the hassle of parking while getting in some exercise.

Speaking of parking, both locations offer vast parking spaces. The closest parking at Murray does

fill up fast on Saturday mornings, but there are always other parking options.

No Malarkey

If your goal is NOT to make a day of your trip to the market, but to get your shopping done as

fast as possible, the market accommodates that as well! The majority of market customers are serious

foodies or canners shopping for the purpose of efficiency, so they get in, buy and get out. This allows for

a lot of parking turnover and short wait times at each vendor.

There are also many vendors who sell the same type of common Utah produce, peppers, corn,

onions, potatoes and fruits, so you can almost always find a vendor who can wait on you immediately if

another vendor is busy.

 

So, mark your calendars, Murray opened Friday, July 26 th and is open every Friday and Saturday

until October 26 th , and South Jordan opened Saturday, August 3 rd and is open every Saturday until

October 19 th . We will see you there!