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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] The Sunday Times: Farmers’ markets sell ‘supermarket’ foods

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  • From: "waldenfarm" <waldenfarm AT bellsouth.net>
  • To: <thamnophis AT gmail.com>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] The Sunday Times: Farmers’ markets sell ‘supermarket’ foods
  • Date: Wed, 2 Mar 2011 09:34:06 -0500

Thanks for the article from The Times- informative & entertaining. The problem around here is that any yahoo can open a stand and call it a farmers market & the original farmers market here turned into mostly resale. People have the wrong idea about what a real farmers market is. So, getting the word out that our market is "all local, farmer grown & sold" is difficult.

I think we need to define "farmers market" as well as "local." This can be at the federal level, but our government, bless their hearts, tend to complicate soup & sandwiches and is more & more run by corporations. I don't think I want them (the corps.) defining these terms. The state level would do, but even better, county & local entities.

Side note- when I was managing a market in North Georgia, a disgruntled "farmers market" stand owner just down the hway complained to the GA Dept. of Ag. about farmers selling jelly, pickles, etc. The supervisor for that part of GA came by the market, read our bylaws (farmer owned & controlled) and said we were under the same exemption to health & Dept. of Ag. regs. as on-farm stands- no authority. That's good news for real farmers markets in GA. In TN we are under the same Health Dept. rules as food processors for value added & the same as caterers for preparing and giving out samples. AWFUL! Some more reasonable & realistic regulations for these would be helpful.

Thanks for the therapy session- blowing off steam about the "Regulators."

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm




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