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Defining ‘Farmers Market’ – The Devil is in the Details
Posted on July 14th, 2010 by admin. Filed under News, Newsletter.
By Brigitte Moran
In May 2010, the Farmers Market Coalition Board of Directors approved a definition of “farmers market” in an effort to clarify what is an authentic farmers market. I don’t aspire to be a contrarian, and so it is only with the permission and encouragement of Sharon Yeago, FMC’s Board President, and Stacy Miller, Executive Director, that I share my thoughts on “What Makes a Farmers Market? Farmers Market Coalition Takes Stance.”
One too many produce markets and grocery store chains have jumped on the marketing band wagon, capitalizing on growing consumer enthusiasm for local food, direct from farmers. Safeway’s ears must have been burning in Kirkland, Washington as farmers market advocates from across the country convened by conference call to discuss why Safeway was opening up tents in their parking lots, moving their produce department out into these tents and calling it a “Farmer Market”. The term “farmers market” has become so ubiquitous that its integrity has been compromised, especially in the eyes of the farmer and the discerning customer.
After vibrant discussion, the FMC Board homed in on the following definition:
A farmers market operates multiple times per year and is organized for the purpose of facilitating personal connections that create mutual benefits for local farmers, shoppers and communities. To fulfill that objective farmers markets define the term local, regularly communicate that definition to the public, and implement rules/guidelines of operation that ensure that the farmers market consists principally of farms selling directly to the public products that the farms have produced.
At last, something we could all agree on. That is, except one pivotal/slippery word: principally.
I find myself campaigning for strength and clarity on behalf of farmers who should not have to compete with resellers at a “Farmers Market”.
I believe that FMC has a unique opportunity, as the national voice for farmers markets, to define a farmers market as what the general public believes it is – a place where produce is only sold by genuine farmers directly to the customer.
One may argue that as a nation we’re not there yet. I hear the rebuttal - you’re so privileged to live in California with its abundance of farmers and year-round growing seasons. Yes, absolutely, Californians are extremely fortunate and I have the utmost respect for a locavore in the middle of a New England winter. But I can assure you, 20 years ago our farmers markets did not boast the diverse abundance that we celebrate today. It took time and an even playing field, created by state law– one that ensured that farmers were competing against farmers, not brokers or resellers.
If we aspire to have only farmers at farmers markets, the impressive count of nearly 6,000 farmers markets in the United States will surely drop. That doesn’t mean markets close; it just means that they’re honest, and willing to call a spade a spade. A produce market verses a farmers market. We owe this to the eaters of America, as our perceived authenticity has been one of our industry’s virtues that they have found most refreshing. As far as whether a farmers market sells locally prepared foods and/or locally made art, that discussion is for another day. For today, let’s save the farmers.
Farmers markets were not intended to support produce markets, or grocery stores, nor were they designed to support produce resellers. If we expect to maintain the trust of our values-driven customers, if we aspire to educate the general public about the value of supporting local farms and eating fresh seasonal food, if we hope to affect change as an industry, we must be transparent about who we are.
Brigitte Moran is a Farmers Market Coalition Board Member and Executive Director of Agricultural Institute of Marin, formerly Marin Farmers Markets, a 501(c)3 non-profit which runs nine farmers markets in the Bay Area (five in Marin County, three in Alameda County, and one in San Francisco), including the 27 year old Marin Farmers Markets at the Marin Civic Center. AIM’s mission is to educate the public about the nutritional and economic benefits of buying locally grown food directly from farmers, and to connect and support communities and agriculture.
July 15th, 2010 at
I cannot possibly tell you how much I agree with and appreciate this article. I am very vocal on the subject of re-sale myself and am trying to get some markets in my area to wake up to it.
The Safeway thing is actually quite different than the press has portrayed it. I vend at the Redmond market where Martha the whistle blower works. The truth is Redmond market is so full of re-sellers that it has decided to follow policy of not even calling itself a farmers market “Redmond Saturday Market” and has chosen not to be in the state farmers market association due to that very problem.
Redmond Saturday Market is no more than a grocery store itself. Do you see the irony?
Ms. Tyler is simply a hypocrite looking to make herself look good to the community.
July 15th, 2010 at
“If we aspire to have only farmers at farmers markets, the impressive count of nearly 6,000 farmers markets in the United States will surely drop. That doesn’t mean markets close; it just means that they’re honest, and willing to call a spade a spade. ”
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Brigitte! I too was disappointed with the definition FMC chose for a farmers market. My reaction was, “what’s the point?” And how will “principally” be defined? It either is a farmers market or it is not. Blurring the lines as this definition does, does not help those of us who are struggling daily to explain to the public the difference between a “real” farmer and a reseller and why people should care.
July 15th, 2010 at
[...] 15, 2010 by Kathleen According to the consensus of the Farmers Market Coalition: A farmers market operates multiple times per year and is organized for the purpose of facilitating [...]
July 18th, 2010 at
Thank you Brigitte for a great article. One point I would like to make though is that the responsibility for making that distinction falls squarely on the shoulders of the market owner/manager. A market having the reputation of being both is a slippery slope that is often difficult to manage as well as justify. I believe you’re either one or the other, not both. Real farmers complaints are generally ignored with the justification being the better good (survival of the market) or the financial windfall of the owner. I believe that in the end, the customers will determine which way the market swings and whether the market survives.
July 20th, 2010 at
Hi Brigitte,
Thanks for your fine article.
As for the response from hoel3301 , let’s call him “Jester” for lack of a name – we wish he would find another market at which to sell, one perhaps that does not allow resale, because at RSM, we do allow it, it’s in our bi-laws that were written 35 years ago.
Further, we do not belong to WSFMA because we choose not to, we have a board of directors which govern our market and we choose to run our market ourselves, re-selling from other local farms included, Jester. We do not feel we need the help of an outside organization. We don’t consider it a “problem”, and we do consider WSFMA a fine organization.
We are not just a farmer market, we support our local artists every bit as much as the farmers at our market and that is why for 35 years we have been called the Redmond Saturday Market.
Please Jester, unburdened by knowledge as you appear to be, go sell at a market that does not allow reselling, you will be happier and so will RSM.
Martha Tyler, Manager
Redmond Satruday Market
July 20th, 2010 at
I am a “crafter” at the Redmond Saturday Market. We crafters enable the market to have a longer season (26 weeks). We are there in May when many crops are not ready. (especially this year). We go untill the last Saturday in October when many of the crops are gone. I for one take some time out in July and August to allow more space for farmers. I very much enjoy being part of the fanily at the Redmond Saturday market. The regulars come to the market for produce and flowers. On gift days we halp draw people who will also buy produce and flowers.
July 20th, 2010 at
I’m sure few farmers really have time to grow and sell their own vegetables or do this well enough to really maximize their profits. They often hire “help” who attend markets in their place. Are you really buying from the farmer in this case? Where do the fruits and vegetables that resellers sell come from – I’m guessing a farmer? Some reselling allows farmers to move their excess inventory and also allows the customer to purchase a larger variety of produce. In the end the customer is the winner here and as long as that happens markets will continue to grow. Placing restrictions on who sells what when is very hard to police and few market managers have the time or desire to do this.
July 20th, 2010 at
Wow hoel3301…if you aren’t happy, leave. Why make everyone else miserable.
What is wonderful about the Redmond Sat. Market is the variety of farmers and artists. As a customer, I think the manager has taken charge and done nothing but put her heart into it and make the market better.
A small percentage of reselling does not hurt the cause. It is not a major grocery chain out to take advantage of “farmers market” advertising. Hope you figure it out.
July 22nd, 2010 at
I am all for having local farmers, artisans etc at the market and no resellers that only buy produce at the wholesale market. The idea of the Farmers Market is to allow customers to know where their food comes from.
But I also disagree with every market manager insisting that the farm itself has to be present. As Brussel Sprout rightly says, many small farms do not have the time & resources to bounce from one market to the other. They should farm instead. So they hire help to sell, which is nothing bad, their product is still their product, but their margin takes a significant hit. After all, we wanted to save the Farmers, right?
I believe that Farmer’s Markets should exclude resellers, but should allow cooperation between farmers. Example: Four farms building one stand (better offering for consumer, too), taking turns in coming to market and selling. Or paying another person to sell for them – like a marketing cooperative of farmers. Many markets exclude this option and I think that is wrong. It shuts the small farms out of the opportunity to take their produce to market. And the small farms are most probably the ones most in need of being saved.
July 23rd, 2010 at
I prefer to buy from local farmers. I really don’t appreciate buying from a reseller; always feels like an imposter posing to be the “real deal”. I think a farmer’s market should be composed of local farmers; artists and crafters are a nice addition – they’re selling an entirely different product and it makes for a more rounded experience! Local farmers + local food + artists + music = JOY.
July 24th, 2010 at
I believe the word principally was entered to allow other artisans to participate in the farmers markets. For examples cheese makers may not have livestock for their own milk production and use other farms milk. So technically speaking, they’re not farmers.
What concerns me is when a farmers market, like one I attended last summer, was predominately artisans. The artisan to farmer scale was roughly 3:1, I feel that’s just ridiculous. I personally go to a farmers market to buy food and feel that’s where the focus should be.
July 26th, 2010 at
Hi Brigitte, and thank you for the thoughtful article. While I agree with just about everything you’ve stated, as president of the Redmond Saturday Market, I feel I must respond to some of the statements made about our market and other markets in the comments section.
Our market does not fit the FMC definition of a ‘farmers market’ – this is not new, nor is it ‘an imposter posing to be the “real deal”’. We’ve always strived to, as you say – ‘call a spade a spade’. We’re the Redmond Saturday Market, not the Redmond Farmers Market, a distinction seemingly lost on Jester – aka hoel3301.
RSM was created over 35 years ago, as a corporation run by it’s own members. According to our by-laws, it’s purpose is “To create a ‘Public Market’ where farmers, gardeners, artists, craftspeople and food specialists may offer local wares, products and creations for sale.” We even define the different types of members that may belong, including Farmer Commission Vendors – ‘Those farmers who may purchase some of their products directly from the local grower and then offer the products for sale’. The purpose for this category is to encourage small farmers, who may not have enough product on their own, to participate in our market. Each member or our market submits an application each year, stating what products they are growing themselves, and what products they are ‘reselling’. With the exception of a couple of long time members, each vendor is limited less than 20% as ‘resell’ items.
A copy of the by-laws, along with our handbook, is distributed to each of our members, every year. It’s a shame that Jester has obviously never taken the time to read them. It’s also a shame that he has chosen to speak so poorly of our market manager, who is doing a tremendous job.