Know your farmer, the saying for the farmers markets. Well, perhaps not! I went to one yesterday to check it out this season (was a vendor there previous seasons). A bit down on vendors, but then the weather had been iffy.
I spotted some pretty broccoli at one booth, large heads, kept in a tub and cooled with ice, only $3 at that, and sign 'Pesticide Free'. I asked the young lady what farm this is, and as it happened was a different one with name I knew, change in ownership or something. I asked what she did about the cabbage worms. Blank look. (I have a few broccoli, none ready, and have worms). Had to ask her boss. Then went on to say they spray everything with Sevin, takes care of all the bugs. But what about the broccoli, says pesticide free? Oh, we don't spray that. Hmmmm
Then passing by another booth that is a known farmer. Among other things she had some heirloom tomato starts. A customer asked what Heirloom means. Her answer was it means it's not genetically modified. From that I guess we have heirloom or gmo?!
I was shaking my head and then stopped to visit a fellow running a booth and is my neighbor at the market I do. Needless to say, he was equally stunned.
OK, stepping down. Time to go mess with my plants. After several inches of rain, some hard, the dirt in the containers compacted, and need a light touch with the hand cultivator. I didn't complain about all the rain is it was the tail end of the storm that tore up Okla.
You have to remember not all sellers at farmer's markets are the farmers themselves. Here we have truck farms. 5 acre plots that are worked by a family or two or three people with other jobs. They grow the produce and the farmer's market sellers, drive their trucks to the farms and buy the produce from them; rebundle and resell at farmer's markets, swap meet, or roadside.
One of the local farms is owned by a Cambodian family. They grow the produce and their workers operate produce stands at open markets, and roadside stands at various locations. The people that are selling are not the same workers doing the farming.
My uncle used to help out at the open market on the Big Island and he had grown some cucumbers and an "organic" vendor offered to buy his cucumbers even after my uncle said they were not organic because he uses synthetic fertilizer.
It really is buyer beware out there. It probably is a good idea to ask questions especially on "organic" produce because there are a lot of people out there who charge extra for the word "organic". It is still the best bet to grow your own so you know how it was grown.
One of the local farms is owned by a Cambodian family. They grow the produce and their workers operate produce stands at open markets, and roadside stands at various locations. The people that are selling are not the same workers doing the farming.
My uncle used to help out at the open market on the Big Island and he had grown some cucumbers and an "organic" vendor offered to buy his cucumbers even after my uncle said they were not organic because he uses synthetic fertilizer.
It really is buyer beware out there. It probably is a good idea to ask questions especially on "organic" produce because there are a lot of people out there who charge extra for the word "organic". It is still the best bet to grow your own so you know how it was grown.
I do understand the grower may not be the seller, especially with a sizable operation. The one doing the spraying with Sevin is fairly large, and may be extended family. I was more shocked that sign had Pesticide Free, perhaps a selling point, and the pesticide they use is Sevin. Perhaps they missed the memo that it isn't a good choice to use!
The other incident, the heirloom tomato start (not gmo) may have been a selling point also. We have plenty of great hybrid tomatoes such as Better Boy etc.
Perhaps the real point of this is that I need to use more Buzz Words in presenting my stuff at the market!
The other incident, the heirloom tomato start (not gmo) may have been a selling point also. We have plenty of great hybrid tomatoes such as Better Boy etc.
Perhaps the real point of this is that I need to use more Buzz Words in presenting my stuff at the market!
In California, the requirements for selling at a farmers' market are pretty stringent. The people at the booth *must* work at the farm and *must* know the produce. There are some slots for craftspeople, but the craftspeople must make absolutely everything that's available for sale in their booths: jam, bread, cheese, "farm yarns," and I've even seen knitted/crocheted clothing and pottery. Everyone who works at a booth must be informed about the products as a consequence of working at the farm or being a craftsperson; that's how to weed out (image intended) the cheaters.
If a farm booth cannot display the CCOF/Oregon Tilth certification (it's a pretty big painted sign that they're allowed to display), they cannot use words like "organic." The farmers' market representative (present at all times the market is open) will close their booth and throw them out, making room for the next (honest!) farmer on the waiting list. There are even entire organic farmers' markets for CCOF/Oregon Tilth-certified growers!
These kinds of shenanigans would not fly in an authorized California farmers' market. Roadside stands, who knows? It sounds like these other "farmers' markets" upthread are fairly shady operations, at least to me. No authority making sure that actual growers are present? No organic certification required to display the word "organic"? And the "pesticide-free" broccoli treated with Sevin?!
That grower should--and would be, here in California--disqualified and disinvited.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
If a farm booth cannot display the CCOF/Oregon Tilth certification (it's a pretty big painted sign that they're allowed to display), they cannot use words like "organic." The farmers' market representative (present at all times the market is open) will close their booth and throw them out, making room for the next (honest!) farmer on the waiting list. There are even entire organic farmers' markets for CCOF/Oregon Tilth-certified growers!
These kinds of shenanigans would not fly in an authorized California farmers' market. Roadside stands, who knows? It sounds like these other "farmers' markets" upthread are fairly shady operations, at least to me. No authority making sure that actual growers are present? No organic certification required to display the word "organic"? And the "pesticide-free" broccoli treated with Sevin?!
That grower should--and would be, here in California--disqualified and disinvited.Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Getting back on a couple of points here. I mentioned this to a couple of vendors at the market I do. For the one saying her heirloom starts weren't gmo. Well true, but sales pitch and we figure that farmer using buzz words.
Organic is strict. We have only a couple of farms at each market certified organic. That is posted, everyone is good with that. The rest of us use words like, as few chemicals as possible, sustainable, etc. There are white spots in many of the mint leaves I have. I tell customers there are spots, sign of insect, don't know what it is (can't find it), and figure spots better than chemicals. The customer happy!
On using sevin, seems to be an 'old time' pesticide, and one many farmers used to.
Now the crafts. We do have some artisan vendors, and they do their own work. My booth a mix of woven & knit and the herbs. I usually have a knit project going, now the cotton knit wash cloths, so my work is evident. Also my license tag is YARN (our booth is by back of vehicle), so a big clue!
There are a couple of markets in the area that don't monitor as close, or vendors monitoring each other. Goes without saying we talk amongst ourselves and know the personality of the various markets.
Organic is strict. We have only a couple of farms at each market certified organic. That is posted, everyone is good with that. The rest of us use words like, as few chemicals as possible, sustainable, etc. There are white spots in many of the mint leaves I have. I tell customers there are spots, sign of insect, don't know what it is (can't find it), and figure spots better than chemicals. The customer happy!
On using sevin, seems to be an 'old time' pesticide, and one many farmers used to.
Now the crafts. We do have some artisan vendors, and they do their own work. My booth a mix of woven & knit and the herbs. I usually have a knit project going, now the cotton knit wash cloths, so my work is evident. Also my license tag is YARN (our booth is by back of vehicle), so a big clue!
There are a couple of markets in the area that don't monitor as close, or vendors monitoring each other. Goes without saying we talk amongst ourselves and know the personality of the various markets.