Farmers Market

Grocery store shopping can’t begin to compete with the fun and fresh air of a farm market.  We’ve learned that there is a thriving farm market in our future hometown and can’t wait to begin buying produce there.

When I first started shopping at farm markets, many years ago, fruits and vegetables were the predominant items for sale.  Later, I began to see fish, meat and baked goods.  Nowadays, they frequently resemble flea markets, with many items besides foods being available.  These are generally pricier than the food items and many of the vendors accept credit cards.  I suppose that helps to increase sales, although it probably increases prices as well, since the vendor will incur card-processing costs.  That cost can vary.  A Forbes.com article offers real insight into the costs of accepting credit cards.  Merchants can save money by comparing processing rates as well as lag time and extra fees involved in the credit card processing.  Even small differences in the processing rate could save vendors thousands of dollars per year in processing costs.  For those businesses in the higher risk categories – replica items, tobacco or travel services, for example – the amount can be even higher.  Whether you are buying vegetables or processing services, it pays to shop around.

Thanks to http://www.highriskaccount.com for sponsoring this post.