http://civileats.com/2010/10/27/farmers-markets-transparency-is-our-model/ Promoting critical thought about sustainable agriculture and food systems Fri, 17 May 2013 04:15:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 http://civileats.com/2010/10/27/farmers-markets-transparency-is-our-model/comment-page-1/#comment-9307 FMC weighs in on the term “Farmers Market” « Tips and Tools for Farmers Market Management Fri, 29 Oct 2010 18:40:47 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=9863#comment-9307 [...] 29, 2010 by Kathleen Read this blog post by Stacy Miller.  Her argument makes perfect sense.   She [...]

]]> http://civileats.com/2010/10/27/farmers-markets-transparency-is-our-model/comment-page-1/#comment-9264 Vance Corum, Farmers' Markets America Thu, 28 Oct 2010 11:22:37 +0000 http://civileats.com/?p=9863#comment-9264 Stacy Miller’s article was a refreshingly candid review of integrity issues within farmers’ markets and food retail in general. The problems are not simply within one camp or another.
Farmers’ markets have expanded consumer awareness of what is possible when it comes to produce freshness, humane animal production, environmental stewardship and countless other issues. One by one, consumers are getting to “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” as USDA now advises. In winning the hearts of consumers, farmers’ markets have thrown down a friendly challenge for the food industry to improve its practices.
The public trusts farmers more than most professionals, including bankers, lawyers, telemarketers and probably supermarket executives after this brouhaha. Misuse of the term “farmers market” only cements distrust of corporate food retailers and the industrial food system behind them.
While farmers’ markets need constant vigilance to remain true to their roots and ensure integrity with their farmers’ claims, supermarkets can’t ride the “farmers market” train to gain customers.
To get back on track, they need to follow Wegmans in the Northeast and New Seasons in Portland, OR, among others, and do the hard work of sourcing from local farms. A growing number of eaters know farmers well enough to watch for serious local buying, rather than window-dressing labels.
Doing the right thing is always a good option. If supermarkets want consumer trust, they should avoid claiming they are farmers’ markets even as they source product from local farms. They can begin right at their local farmers’ market.

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