Farmers markets are challenging the ubiquity of traditional grocery store chains by offering a refreshing alternative: consumers can enjoy the beauty of nature, befriend their neighbors and purchase healthy, locally grown food for a fraction of supermarket prices, all in one environmentally-friendly location.

 Local sprout farmer Steve Johnson founded the Las Vegas Farmers Market in 1999 and supervises the market’s three Valley locations. Johnson said farmers markets provide fruit and vegetables that are picked when they are perfectly ripe, which means they are at their peak nutrient level. The Las Vegas Farmers Market also picks regional farmers from nearby states to supply produce, so fruits and vegetables are picked and then brought to the market a day or two after.

“In the store, produce managers can’t tell you when it was grown. My farmers can,” Johnson said.

Farmers who sell produce at the market do not use pesticides, genetic modification or other unnatural means to enhance their product, whereas conventional farms often do. Apples delivered to supermarkets from conventional farms are often coated with wax to extend their shelf life from six months to two years.

“You have no idea how old the product is,” Johnson said.

In addition to farming, Johnson also gives seminars on the benefits of farmers markets at schools. One day he was speaking to a classroom of children and asked, “Where does butter come from?”

A 5-year-old girl replied, “It comes from Vons!”

“It’s really sad,” Johnson said.

The goal of a farmers market is to supply the freshest, healthiest foods possible, but also to encourage people to be more connected to what they eat. By supporting local farmers, shoppers become more aware of the importance of eating well, and they may even get the chance to experience what a fresh, ripe strawberry is supposed to taste like.

The Las Vegas Farmers Market can be found Tuesdays at Garden Park in Summerlin, Wednesdays at Bruce Trent Park in West Las Vegas and Thursdays at Springs Preserve. Produce, lemonade and other treats will be available from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer months.

By Caitlin McGarry