I saw a discussion
this morning re: "Farmer's Markets." Right off the bat let me be clear - eating
fresh and local is a great thing; minimizing processing of food is, as well.
All that said, the issue with farmer's markets is that they are free to do or
sell almost anything they wish, depending on the state regulations. Here's how
that plays out in, say, California:
"Although the fare sold at farmers
markets often is perceived as more wholesome than what’s available on grocery
shelves, there is no evidence that it is less prone to cause food borne illness
— and it generally receives less federal and local oversight. While few pathogen
outbreaks have been linked to farmers markets, most sources of food borne
illness are never identified, and small outbreaks often go unreported. For
instance, for every confirmed case of salmonellosis, at least 29 cases go
unreported, according to federal estimates.
Congress exempted small farms from the more rigorous safety
requirements of the new Food Safety Modernization Act. The exemption applies to
farms that gross under $500,000 annually and sell the majority of their
products directly to consumers, restaurants or stores in their state or within
275 miles of the farm."
"Within 275 miles?
In local terms, that means your tomatoes could be sold in Orlando as
local, yet be grown in Homestead (Fl) or southern Alabama/Ga with no way of knowing how they were grown.
In Florida, it's even
less regulated. Here's what is required to be able to sell fresh produce: "If
you’re selling fresh produce You need a Growers Permit. These are free. Simply
ask Jim DeValerio to register you as a Grower. His number is 9049666224 or
email: jtd@ufl.edu" Yeah, that's right. All you have to do is ask
for the free permit, and oh yes, if
you're selling by weight: "Your
scale must be a certain kind and it must be inspected. Otherwise, sell by the
bag, basket or handful."
For $50, (no questions asked) you can see your produce under
the label "fresh from Florida" even though no one will ever ask you
to prove that!
For your $50 you have access to logos and pretty posters.
So, unless you
are labeling your produce as "Organic" (in Florida) you can buy produce grown anywhere, fertilized with anything, and sell it as your own. My suggestion: If you
love the idea of fresh, local veggies, plant a garden. In truth buying fresh, unprocessed
vegetables regardless of source is far safer in the US than most anywhere, and far
more regulated in commercial venues.
If that sounds
too harsh, here's a softer way of putting it: If you just like buying vegetables
off folding tables on the weekends, and don't care where or how they were
grown, ignore this. Same if the lure of your local market is mostly the coffee
cart and the nicknack vendors. But if
you shop at the farmers market in part to vote with your food dollars—for a
stronger local economy, say, and for better stewardship of the land, and for a
food network that lets you know exactly what you're putting in your mouth—and
if you'd prefer not to feel like a dupe, it turns out that going to the farmers
market isn't enough anymore, and it comes with absolutely no guarantee of "localness" or freshness. Now you
actually have to find out exactly who's behind every folding table, how their
business is really doing, and accept the disappointment the answers are bound
to bring.
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