An article about farmer' market vendors who make false claims selling "locally grown produce" at more than two dozen farmers markets in Los Angeles.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-...77594.html

Quote:We did find plenty of vendors doing just that, like Underwood Farms, which sells produce at 14 markets, all grown on a family farm in Moorpark.

But our investigation also uncovered vendors who are selling stuff they didn't grow, like Frutos Farms, which sells at seven different farmers markets in LA and Orange counties

There's a popular market here in MPLS that thousands of people flock to every weekend, mostly by car of course (Irony!) The produce is lined up on shelves in boxes plainly marked with the brands of the farms or distributors that provide the goods, few of which are local. Seriously, tomatoes in Minnesota in May or June? Where on earth are they growing bananas in the upper Midwest? Strawberries in September? WTF?

Almost all of it is identical to the produce at the grocery store, yet people still make the pilgrimage in pursuit of... what, authenticity?

Something about organic, localvore food makes people lose their minds, I swear.

(09-27-2010 11:55 AM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  An article about farmer' market vendors who make false claims selling "locally grown produce" at more than two dozen farmers markets in Los Angeles.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-...77594.html

Quote:We did find plenty of vendors doing just that, like Underwood Farms, which sells produce at 14 markets, all grown on a family farm in Moorpark.

But our investigation also uncovered vendors who are selling stuff they didn't grow, like Frutos Farms, which sells at seven different farmers markets in LA and Orange counties

There's a popular market here in MPLS that thousands of people flock to every weekend, mostly by car of course (Irony!) The produce is lined up on shelves in boxes plainly marked with the brands of the farms or distributors that provide the goods, few of which are local. Seriously, tomatoes in Minnesota in May or June? Where on earth are they growing bananas in the upper Midwest? Strawberries in September? WTF?

Almost all of it is identical to the produce at the grocery store, yet people still make the pilgrimage in pursuit of... what, authenticity?

Something about organic, localvore food makes people lose their minds, I swear.

yeah i love when people bite into an "organic" locally grown peach and then moan and talk about how great it is. I'm like, i can go to costco and get peaches that are just as good for half the price

Why do you hate farmers, LS?

(09-27-2010 01:17 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Why do you hate farmers, LS?

I love farmers! I hate the holier than though attitude of the Prii driving, urbane elite that shop at farmer's markets.

(09-27-2010 01:56 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(09-27-2010 01:17 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Why do you hate farmers, LS?

I love farmers! I hate the holier than though attitude of the Prii driving, urbane elite that shop at farmer's markets.

Heh. I thought you would have given me this: as an answer!

(09-27-2010 02:04 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Heh. I thought you would have given me this: as an answer!

See, another reason for GTS to get off the USS Ron Paul and fix the winky smilie.

I DEMAND SATISFACTION!

(09-27-2010 01:56 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(09-27-2010 01:17 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Why do you hate farmers, LS?

I love farmers! I hate the holier than though attitude of the Prii driving, urbane elite that shop at farmer's markets.

(09-27-2010 01:56 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  

(09-27-2010 01:17 PM)DrTorch Wrote:  Why do you hate farmers, LS?

I love farmers! I hate the holier than though attitude of the Prii driving, urbane elite that shop at farmer's markets.

Harumph - guilty as charged. Except for the Prius, eliteness, and the attitude. I think. But I know the crowd you're talking about. My family shops at local farmers markets every week and we love it. If there is an environmental benefit that's nice but we would never go if we didn't think we were getting good value. Sometimes we get better prices than the grocery store, sometimes not but we'll buy certain items because the quality and variety is much better.

I don't think I've seen any of the offending farmers from the video at the markets we visit but my wife goes much more often than I do and might know. Cities like Santa Monica (with several farmers markets we like) have audit programs to mitigate the kind of fraud described here. Probably doesn't prevent it but hopefully minimizes it.

One last thing: The whole "Certified Organic" thing has become a bit of a joke. It's so layered in bureaucracy now, with so much paperwork and expense, that legitimate organic farmers have opted out of the program. We know farmers who have to be careful how they describe their produce now. They can't show you the sign but they'll tell you they don't use pesticides and show you what they can to back it up.

"People think that certified is much better for them although I could not be certified and still be doing the same thing."

The FM in Cordele, Ga. is cheap as hell, and very good, and I'm sure they're not growing organically, ....if that means sprinkling sh-t on everything instead of pesticides.

Certain foods are MUCH better when locally grown. Tomatoes being one of them. Locally grown ones are allowed more time to ripen on the vine, rather than picked while green, and forced to turn red before they're actually ready. Pretty much the same thing with a number of other fruits and veggies.

The farmers' market in Dallas is fun to go to, but the grocery store stickers on the produce were kind of a tipoff of shenanigans to me. As best I'm aware of, they made no claims to have anything aside from not-rotten-to-the-core produce, but it was more interesting than going to the grocery store.

(09-27-2010 04:58 PM)I45owl Wrote:  The farmers' market in Dallas is fun to go to, but the grocery store stickers on the produce were kind of a tipoff of shenanigans to me. As best I'm aware of, they made no claims to have anything aside from not-rotten-to-the-core produce, but it was more interesting than going to the grocery store.

It's the power of the free-market. People will always buy things based on things other than quality. More power to the vendors.

Try organic food... or as your grandparents called it, "food"

I guess those folks got their cue when Michelle Obama lied about the crap she was growing in her garden. I mean, if it's good enough for the first lady.....

My farmers market is the 1/2 acre my father and I work from Spring to Fall.
And...There is NOTHING organic in it. We fertilize and spray the sh!t out of everything.

(09-27-2010 05:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  It's the power of the free-market. People will always buy things based on things other than quality. More power to the vendors.

Not if there's fraud.

(09-28-2010 07:30 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  

(09-27-2010 05:34 PM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  It's the power of the free-market. People will always buy things based on things other than quality. More power to the vendors.

Not if there's fraud.

Because there is never fraud in the free market?

http://www.delish.com/food-fun/local-far...?GT1=47001