[Market-farming] A delicate situation: How to tell a Farmer's Market vendor their quality is off

Alliums garlicgrower at earthlink.net
Fri Sep 3 10:00:40 EDT 2004


Hi, Folks!

I have a situation I'd love to get some input on from the group.

Last year, a consortium of dairy farmers got together and produced some of 
the best yogurt I've ever had.  My cousin and I bought copious amounts 
every Saturday our Farmer's Market was in business.

I don't know what has happened this year, but the quality is completely 
gone this year.  Even though the yogurt has a "sell by" date that is far in 
the future either 1) when we open the lid of the yogurt, the inner seal is 
bulging from gas (I have returned several containers that looked like this, 
since, of course, I hadn't opened the yogurt) or 2) either the fruit in the 
yogurt or the yogurt itself tastes spoiled.

I know the farmer is wondering why my cousin and I aren't the steady 
customers we were last year, but can't bring himself to ask.  As I know 
*nothing* about dairy from the cow itself to how to make or hold dairy 
products in a commercial setting, I just don't know how to tell him that 
the product has gone from fantastic to so "hit or miss" (and mostly "miss") 
that I just don't feel like taking the chance that, yes, this batch of 
yogurt has "gone south", too.

Any suggestions?  I don't want to berate the man, but gosh, he had a 
fantastic product last year and this year, it just ain't there.

Thanks for your help -- I'm sure this is an issue we all face at one time 
or another. . .

Dorene
Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's United Church of Christ Organic Community Garden

A mission of
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460




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