Summer is upon us, and that means farmers markets across the country are filling up with tends and card tables and homey trucks full of local produce.
The problem?
Not all “farmers markets” are an actual direct farmer-to-consumer connection.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are about 8,700 registered farmers markets in the U.S., which does not include solo and roadside operations.
Many of us in the fresh produce and retail business know there are some shady characters out there. I get at least one call per year from a guy with a truck looking me up, thinking I know how to hook him up with a watermelon shipper with a load ready for roadside selling here in Texas.
While there are exceptions to every rule, there are a few things that generally spell “fake” when it comes to farmers markets:
1. Out of season produce
Do you know what's in season where you live? Are you seeing apples at a “farmers market” in Cleveland in July? There's a good chance they're not local.
2. Produce that doesn't grow where you live
Avocados in Denver? Mangoes, or even table grapes in Chicago? Most likely those aren't local and you're seeing stuff that was sold at a discount from a produce supplier. If you're looking for a great deal, this may be your guy – but it's not the farmer.
3. Branded boxes, PLU stickers and other packaging
I'm all for recycling, and if a grower can get a good deal on some branded boxes from a national shipper, then good for them. But, oftentimes, if you're seeing a branded box, PLUs (those little produce stickers on individual fruit) or plastic clamshells, there's a good chance you're, again, seeing something that was sold at a discount from a local wholesaler.
4. It's just too PRETTY
Are those asparagus stalks amazingly uniform and straight? Is every tomato the same color, with no blemishes or variation in size? Conversely, do those peaches have all the looks but none of the smell of a ripe peach? Probably not from a local farm.
5. No farmers?
Sometimes an area has multiple farmers markets, so the larger operations will send out a sales agent to each location. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, provided the sales agent is able to answer questions about who the farmer is, their philosophy, where they grow and how they grow it.
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Want your farmers market experience to be authentic? I have a few tips for that, too.
- Check with the market coordinator to see if it is “producer-only” or if they allow certain items to be brought in from other channels. If so, how much and what are the guidelines. Often, that means a farmer is pulling from a friend's “deal” in a neighboring region. (think Michigan blueberries in Wisconsin)
- Ask questions – more than one or two. More than one or two questions can help you spot a phony.
- Check your local grocer for a growers that do “Direct Store Deliveries,” which means the grower themselves drop off produce at the store. That's a really great option for close-to-a-farmers-market local produce, with the advantages of cold chain management – and the farmer doesn't have to sit out in a hot parking lot to sell it, too.
- Search for a farmers market with the USDA Local Food Directory.