By JENNIFER MATHEWS
The First Rule Of Proper Farmers Market Etiquette
Unlike buying things at a supermarket, there are unspoken rules and etiquette you should follow when shopping at a farmers' market. The first rule is to bring cash in small bills.
Not all vendors can give change for $100, and some farm stands work on an honor system, so if you don't want to spend that much on ingredients for a salad, carry small bills.
Some vendors take credit cards, but they get charged by credit card companies for using the service. Since paying in cash allows vendors to save that fee, they may charge you less.
Purchases made with American Express, Discover, and rewards cards charge vendors higher interest rates than non-reward Visa or Mastercard versions, so sellers get less of the sale.
That said, debit card services are low risk for the banks, so paying with a debit card is still better than using a credit card as it sets the lowest fees for the seller.
Additionally, vendors are more likely to negotiate the price of an heirloom tomato when you only have five dollars, but flashing a credit card eliminates your bargaining power.
Still, before haggling over some berries for sport, consider the expenses and labor involved in growing food, especially with the impact of global warming and increasing droughts.