What Does $20 Buy at the Farmers Market?

I’ve spoken about the economics of food in this post, so I won’t repeat myself here.

I value food above most other things I can buy. That means I typically don’t limit myself at the farmers market and bring plenty of cash.

Yesterday, though, I only had a $20 bill in my wallet and it was out of my way to visit a bank machine. I wondered what kind of haul could I bring home with the funds I had in my pocket?

Here’s what I bought:

- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch Swiss chard
- 1 bunch Pac Choi (an Asian green I’ve never tried)
- 1 bunch salad turnips (never had these either)
- 1 bunch sweet basil
- 1 bunch dill
- 3 heirloom tomatoes

The total cost? $18.

Does that seem expensive to you? Given the amount of stuff I got in the photo above, I think I got decent value for my money.

Keep in mind I like to buy from the organic growers. I probably could have made my dollars stretch even farther by shopping at non-organic growers, too.

What are your tips for buying smart at the farmers market?