When it comes to buying fresh, many people hesitate to stock up on perishable items out of fear that they may not be able to finish them by the time they go bad. Luckily, with a FoodSaver® FM5460 2-in-1 Food Preservation System you'll be able to keep your bounty fresher longer. With spring just around the corner, it's almost time to stock up at your local Farmers' Markets.

Here are some of the benefits that come along with choosing your city's farmers' markets to make your fresh fruit and vegetable purchases:

You're guaranteed a variety at the farmers' market.

You Can't Beat the Freshness
The only way to get fresher produce is to grow it in your own back yard! Since many farmers' markets obtain fruit and vegetables from local farms, you're likely going to purchase produce that's been picked just a few days ago, at most. When purchasing from a grocery store, that produce likely came from another state or country and spent a good deal of time in transit. In order to make sure fruit and vegetables don't spoil on long commutes, they're usually picked before they've reached peak ripeness. This means they don't develop all of their potential nutrients and flavor. By shopping at a farmers' market, you're guaranteeing quality, fresh produce for a fraction of the price.

Additionally, you can freeze the fresh, quality food to preserve it. Vacuum sealing perfectly ripe produce allows you to hold onto it and enjoy it's robust flavor longer than if you kept it in the fridge as is. For versatility and to save counter space, choose The FoodSaver® FM1510 Fresh Food Preservation System.

Support Local Business
The small business movement is gaining more traction now that more people are realizing the benefits of putting their money back into their local economy. Not only do you get to enjoy fresher and higher quality produce by buying from local farmers, you're also supporting a local farmer who will likely spend that money at a local establishment as well. A neighborhood or city can only be as strong as the people supporting it! Chances are, the farmer will be working right at the booth so you can talk about the best ways to prepare his or her products!

Enjoy Seasonal Produce
When you're purchasing your fruits and vegetables at a farmers' market, you're definitely getting it in season. If you freeze the produce when it's at its peak, too, you'll be able to preserve that fresh flavor to enjoy in the future. So don't hesitate to stock up! Of course, how you store it makes all of the difference. The FoodSaver® Pint-Size Vacuum-Seal Bags are the perfect size for produce and allow you to seal in all of those nutrients and delectable flavors.

Industrial farms tend to focus on producing large quantities of popular produce, while smaller, independent farms like to grow a variety. You'll probably be able to find produce that you've never even heard of at your local farmers' market, and experimenting with new food is always a lot of fun!

It's the Green Choice
Tracing back to the transportation factor, far less fuel is burned up transporting produce from local farms to farmers' markets than it is when transporting tons of produce around the country by factory farms. Other ways local farmers help preserve the environment include not using large processing machines or using a lot of electricity to run indoor farms. If the farms also produce eggs, milk or other dairy products, there's a good chance that the animals housed there are treated humanely. Many smaller farms raise cage-free or free-range animals, which is better for the animals and the people eating the products. What's more, how animals are raised can impact the environment. In general, the less equipment farmers use to maintain their animals, the better. Machinery can pollute the air, so free-range husbandry is ideal for reducing carbon footprints. Additionally, animals that graze rather than eat solely grain don't use up as much farmland, further protecting the environment.