Does your farmers' market sell fruits and vegetables that are not locally grown?

Question

I was very surprised today when I was about to eat a couple plums from my local farmers' market and saw that they had stickers on them with PLU numbers (like at the grocery store) and "California" written on them. I live in Northern New York.

Has this ever happened to you? Do you believe your farmers' market really only sells locally grown foods?

Answer 1

Welcome to the world of marketing. I've seen this same thing too many times. I live in CA and there are a couple produce stands off the highway in the middle of huge fields of produce. I stopped in to buy some "fresh" produce only to see non of it was grown in the US. I asked the person who worked there which items were grown locally, he replied "if it's here it's local". Needless to say I got back into my car and drove off.

It took me months of asking everyone I knew if they knew of any local farmers markets. I have a great coop in my area of local certified organic growers. I can either go to the farmers market or I can go directly to their farm and pick up what is in season.

Answer 2

Absolutely not.  Our local farmer's market has the 100 mile radius rule, however I doubt any of the vendors are from more than 30 miles away.

Answer 3

It completely depends on the regulations of the farmers markets.  In some states it is legal to resell fruits and vegtables at farmers markets.

In other states, like Washington, if you have a farmers market, the food MUST be raised in WA, or a state on our border (Oregon, Idaho).

Hint...plumbs are not yet ripe in the U.S.  Start to look for locally grown ones in late summer, early Autumn.

Yes, I've seen the resale of foods many times at "farmers markets."  Bannanas are always the most glaring one to me.

As a small farmer, on a permaculture farm, I firmly believe that "farmer's markets" should only have reasonalby grown products.  People selling items they did not grow themselves, should have to be CLEARLY marked as a fuit and vegtable VENDOR...not farmer!

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Answer 4

All farmers markets have different "rules" but to be a true farmers market the products should be produced within a 100 mile radius, otherwise it's really just a swap meet for food.  One caveat: if the product is bread for example it should be baked within 100 miles, but the ingredients could come from anywhere.  

This isn't just true in farmers markets. One of the national organic food chains advertised "local chicken" but when I read the label it came from about 1200 miles way.

The small one by my house follows the 100 mile rule of thumb but the larger ones don't.  If you see things that can't be grown in your area like bananas, mangos, or coconut it's not a local only market.  That doesn't necessarily mean all the vendors are selling imports.  If you're not sure, ask the vendors where their items were grown.  I've found them to be helpful and honest, even when they knew it wasn't the answer I wanted.

Answer 5

Yes,

Because you can't grow everything in New Mexico.

I still think the bugs are local.

And I've never seen an American Mango.

How about you?  Please send me one of those delicious New York Mangos.

Is the money you spend there locally made or does it come from other towns?