When Martha Tyler passed a local grocery store a couple of weeks ago, she noticed a large banner with the words, “Farmers Market Coming to Your Neighborhood Store — This Saturday and Sunday.”
As a Farmers’ Market manager, Martha was curious. Just who were these farmers coming to the local supermarket? So she went inside and asked. The store manager’s answer surprised and disappointed her. There weren’t going to be any farmers at this so-called farmers’ market. The lettuce, onions and tomatoes to be hauled out into the parking lot for the weekend would be the same as the lettuce, onions and tomatoes found in the produce aisle every day of the week. Not necessarily local and, in all likelihood, not picked that very morning. In other words, business as usual.
For me, this raises a question: Just what is a Farmers’ Market? Is it anything you want it to be? Or is there a commonly accepted definition? Well, I looked it up. Here’s what the dictionary says:
“Farmers’ Market, noun. A market or group of stalls and booths where farmers and sometimes other vendors sell their products directly to consumers.”
And when I checked out numerous websites dealing with farmers’ markets, I found that farmers’ markets generally have these two things in common:
Food is locally produced.
The producer or someone directly involved in the production process attends the stall.
Farmers’ markets serve a purpose. They promote regional agriculture and provide a continuing supply of fresh, local produce. Because products are locally produced, fuel is saved and the related impacts on the environment are minimized. And produce is grown for flavor, not for the ability to withstand the extraordinary abuse sustained during packing, loading and transporting over hundreds or even thousands of miles.
So, if you see a Farmers’ Market banner in front of your grocery store, go inside and ask about freshness. Were the products picked that very morning? Ask which farmers will be on site selling their local products. And, if there are no farmers to be found, ask why it’s being called a farmers’ market.
What are your thoughts on this subject? Let us know! Leave a comment.
UPDATE: The grocery store has agreed to rename their outdoor produce events. They will no longer called them Farmers’ Markets. For more on this issue, click here.
