Visiting a farmers market is a weekly treat where you can delight in freshly picked, locally grown produce at more affordable prices than at the "organic" boutiques of produce at supermarkets. Somewhere near you is a farmers market where yams, kale, spinach, apples and other produce are neatly piled in fetching triangle heaps along with baked cookies, pies and containers of pasta and pasta sauce. You can tell by just smelling and looking at the produce that you are in for a bargain at a fair price.
A Few Bad Apples
Notice the words "always" and "all" are absent, nonetheless. There are a few disappointing reports of stalls pretending to be genuine farmers markets but coming up short of that promise. Here are a few flags that signal when the market is just reselling goods that are not farm-fresh:
- Look for Signs: In a true farmers market, each stall proudly displays the name of the farm that grew the produce and its address. If you do not see any evidence of signs, then ask: "Do you own this stall? Where is your farm?"
- Go by the Season: Be suspicious if you see any fruits or vegetables that look clearly out of season based on where you live. A farmers market up in Maine selling watermelon in January, for example, might give pause.
- Farmers by the Road: Be careful when stopping at roadside farmers' markets. The stalls may not be owner-operated. Ask questions: "Do you grow this directly or are you reselling this from a depot or supermarket?" "How long ago was this picked?"
Protection from Within
Farmers' markets are groups where each farmer is carefully identified as local and authentic. They generally have rules where each farmer has to name the farm and display the price clearly. Hopefully you will not need to ask any questions and can enjoy the farm-fresh produce you see when shopping at your next farmers market.
