Grist: Grocery stores try setting up fake farmers markets

[marmar]

Without a doubt, farmers markets have got a good thing growing. Unfortunately, sneaky copycats have been cropping up as they try to get their paws on the green that comes with that success. In June, Safeway supermarkets in Seattle set up stacks of fruits and veggies outside of their own stores with signs announcing a "Farmers Market." The mangos on display, however, didn't stack up with Washington weather and pressure from local groups prompted the stores to change the posters to read "Outdoor Market" instead.

The grocery stores may argue, what's in a name? But they know exactly what's in a name: a popular cash flow. And something about an important reconnection with how our food is grown, blah blah, wah wah.

The Wall Street Journal takes note of the trend:

"About 200 Albertsons stores in Washington, Oregon and Idaho put up their own "Farmers Market" signs next to their produce stands. The same groups complained to local Albertsons managers about the promotions, but a spokesman for the chain's owner, Supervalu Inc., said the Albertson stores may repeat them in the future if the chain deems them effective ... Supervalu spokesman Mike Siemienas said the Albertson signs were justified because all the produce advertised came from local farmers."

However, just because you walk into a farmers market without a grocery chain backdrop, don't start feeling complacent. The "farmers" themselves may be serving you a side of local bullsh*t with their bald-faced brocco-lies, as an investigation in LA found.

Heads-up, farmers-market-wannabes! Like Heidi Montag's entire body, we can tell you're faking it.


http://www.grist.org/article/2010-09-27-grocery-stores-try-setting-up-fake-farmers-markets/

[Newsjock]

1. What, if anything, in corporate America is real anymore?

Seems like almost everything is a lie, fraud, sham, and/or scam.

[grasswire]

3. that makes me really sad

the love of money is not just the root of all evil, but apparently the genesis of a lot of disillusion and demoralization.

I suspect this trend will get worse before it gets better, as people clamor for fewer resources.

[itsrobert]

2. Farmers Markets are scams.

They are people who pretend they are selling locally grown food from their farm. Actually many of them got their produce through grocery chains or from distributors. Many grown in other countries. Overpriced bull.

[grasswire]

4. not where I live.

The markets here have strong oversight. Yes, the stuff is more expensive than supermarket, and all the trendy yuppies shop at the farmers markets. But some market stands have begun to spring up as well.

Caveat emptor.

[Mist]

7. Not where I live either (central NC). Farmer's markets are locally grown, organic, and not more

expensive than the supermarkets, that I've noticed. Strictly local goods (soap and candles as well as food). There are some covenants or something defining exactly who qualifies to sell at a "farmers' market".

[HopeHoops]

15. Not here either. We've got a long-running farmer's market where most of the vendors grow everything

...they sell, at least while it is in season. The market is open all year (three days a week), but during the growing season they work hard to get produce from the closest source possible until the REALLY local produce is ready. You won't find better corn anywhere else.

[supernova]

19. Seconded

there are plenty of real farmers around here we can give our custom to. And as you say all the homemade artisan soaps and other handicrafts to go with it.

[laughingliberal]

5. The one here is usually vendors we know. It's a fairly small town. We'd notice shills here. nt

[prolesunited]

8. Not all of them

and there can be a mix within the same market. You just need to talk to the vendors. The one I frequent had one vendor that kept adding items purchased from outside and even adding produce that could have been grown locally that wasn't.

There's another vendor who is very small scale and grows everything organically in her own back yard. And there's another vendor who operate a small farm and also sells a few items from a neighboring farm.

As far as being overpriced, it really depends on the market and you have to shop around. I avoid any that says they are a "European market" or are in a more ritzy area. The one I go to every Saturday has prices and quality that beats the stores hands down. Last week I bought huge colored peppers at 4 for $1 and assorted winter squashes for either 75 cents or $1 -- that's for each, not per pound. I supplement what I grow on my own and also freeze and can things for the winter.

[Pathwalker]

9. My town is so small I actually know the people who sell their food.

Rather large paint brush you have there. I've actually walked in their gardens, too.

[hlthe2b]

10. I've never doubted the one near me in Denver each year... until

I paid very premium prices for tomatoes a week ago-- supposedly heirloom organic and one "locally grown" beefsteak. Now, I've been buying locally grown ripened tomatoes for years and have never had them fail to fully ripen as is not uncommon with greenhouse grocery store tomatoes. These three "specialty" tomatoes that cost me an arm and a leg were fibrous and bland as hell. THis was a "splurge" for me and I was absolutely disgusted.

So, yes, I do sometimes question whether the claims of "locally grown" is really true. I now go only to those booths with the big trucks parked behind with their farm's name on it, showing a Colorado location.

Buyer beware.

[rampart]

6. garlic, we use a lot

i noticed in the grocery (very fine print) that the garlic waas a product of china. i got three heads anyway.

stopped at a roadside truck for tomatoes and told the girl "oh, good, you've got garlic. give me six." guess what? china.

[HopeHoops]

13. It is really easy to grow. We've got plenty to last us into November from our own garden.

Our onion crop was excellent this year also. My youngest daughter planted, cared for, weeded, watered, harvested, and braided them. Damn are they good!

The brussels sprouts are producing way more than we expected, as did the tomatoes, sweet peppers, and hot peppers (habanero, cayenne, tabasco, and Thai). We haven't harvested the blue potatoes yet. We'll probably do that when my eldest daughter comes back from college for break (two weeks out). I've got a 25' x 4' bed of just potatoes so they should last us through at least February. The yellow squash has also been prolific. My wife used a lot of it to make soup stock (froze it).

[HopeHoops]

11. Yeah, the Giant chain (Ahold) in PA claims to have "local" produce - like from Georgia.

All of their "local" produce goes to central warehouses and is at least a week old before it even gets close to a retail store. The local family-owned chains (we have two - Karns and Wies) get local produce delivered daily directly to the stores - from the FUCKING FARMERS! But of course, Giant spends a shitload of money advertising that they have local produce, which might explain why their prices are so damn high. Wilted romaine lettuce in September just doesn't scream "local" to me. And if you're looking to get an infestation of fruit flies, there's no better place. I've got a Giant within walking distance but pretty much only go in there to return a RedBox video (that I rented elsewhere).

[grasswire]

12. yeah, I brought home fruit flies from the Kroger the other day

..riding in on some beautiful peaches. Now I've got to go through the eradication again. Bother.

[HopeHoops]

14. I've found those simple lecithin fly strips (in the tube you pull the string out of) work great.

No poisons involved, but DO NOT TOUCH the damn things - sticky as hell!

[grasswire]

17. oh yeah...the first time I used one of those I got it caught in my hair

boy was that a mess.

[HopeHoops]

18. OUCH! I've got long hair and a beard - I put my hair in a ponytail before opening one.

If you DO get the shit on you, Goo Gone does a pretty good job of removing it.

[Paper Roses]

16. Our local Farmers Market seems to be on the up & up.

Late Spring thru late fall, they set up with their food, bread and pastries, crafts and also a couple of good food(eat on the spot) stalls.

I have no fault with them and I realize the farmers and all the sellers need to make a living. I just cannot afford to buy from them.

I do go to a farm stand two towns away now and then for corn on the cob, cukes and the like. Much cheaper for me. Corn at the stand is $4.00 a dozen and from a MA farm--their own. The corn at my weekend farmers market is $8.00 a dozen.

My neighbor and I shared a garden this year(his yard) and that has worked out beautifully. I have not needed to buy Tomatoes or certain other veggies all summer.

I am beginning to believe that we should all adopt a community garden, perhaps in some unused playground,(like WWII)with the town supplying the water. I would plant more but have too little yard space.

In the land of plenty, too many cannot take advantage of what might be best for them.

[dembotoz]

20. you do wonder--some early crops seem really really early

especially sweet corn

[littlewolf]

21. in our area we have 2 stores ... one has a table or certified organic produce ...

now that usually isn't local ... and they say that on the signs ....
another store buys local and sells it ... this is a small area
and the store tells you what farmers they buy from .... so
they seem to be on the up and up ....