It seems like every aspect of life, from the workday to the post-work grocery store run, has gotten more convenient. There’s no need to drive into work when you can do it from home and there’s no need to make a list and fill up a grocery cart when there’s an app for that. And while online grocery shopping may seem relatively new, Visit Statesboro has partnered with Statesboro’s Main Street Farmers Market for 5 years to make buying local produce more accessible and seamless in Statesboro.
The Farmers Market2Go offers fresh produce and locally made goods provided by farmers and vendors from Bulloch, Screven, Burke, Candler and other surrounding counties year-round. Once you’ve made an account, the process is simple. Browse their extensive selection of delicious goodies and fresh ingredients and place an order for whatever calls your name between Friday at 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday at 10:00 p.m. Just like regular groceries, every farmers market order is available for pickup or delivery on Thursday afternoons.
Unlike the items you grab on your weekly grocery store runs, produce from the market is about as fresh as it could be the moment it makes its way to you. Fruits and vegetables are harvested by growers on Wednesdays according to order volume so there’s always enough to go around and never any waste.
Run entirely by a small group of part-time staff and volunteers, the market benefits Statesboro’s local community directly; not only through the nutritional benefits that come with choosing fresh, locally grown produce over processed foods, but also because the growers and makers that supply the market source locally themselves. When you choose to support local producers, they seek out more local goods to keep up with demand, creating an endless cycle of local buying and generating more jobs and income that directly benefits our community.
According to the Farmers Market Coalition, “For every $1 million in revenue, direct-market farms create almost 32 local jobs whereas larger wholesale growers create only 10.5.”
The stats speak for themselves. Buying local goods through organizations like the Farmers Market2Go directly benefits your neighbors and friends. Wholesale grocers can’t say the same. So, before you place your next InstaCart order, see if the Farmers Market2Go has what you need first. It’s just as simple, and you’ll wind up with healthier, more sustainable ingredients that give back.
Visit the Statesboro Main Street Farmers Market every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April through November.
