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market-farming - Re: farmers' markets

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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: Sojourner <sojournr AT missouri.org>
  • To: market farming <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: farmers' markets
  • Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 09:23:02 -0600


> Elizabeth Pike wrote:
>
> The shoppers need to be local, meaning they have kitchens to cook the
> produce. The bridge diverted locals, which means the only ones coming
> downtown are tourists. The shops are all touristy-very few locals
> shop them. The downtown is made up of historic homes renovated by the
> type of clientele who buy from farmer's markets, along with 2 marinas,
> residents of which come to buy, too. And as happens in lots of
> cities, this good, small, area is surrounded by a much larger area
> where the type of clientele would rather have crack than a good tomato
> ; ). I'm a farmer. It isn't my job to revitalize the downtown. I
> need the sales & staying put, just because this is where the only
> farmer's market is & this is the way it's always been done, just feels
> like I'm shooting myself in the foot.

It's tough enough, IMHO, to grow the stuff without having to solve the
problems of the cities we left behind as well. <VBG>

The problem is that many of these "farmer's markets" that are run under
the aegis of a city governing body frequently end up being the sort of
mess you described (with the infighting, the flea-market atmosphere,
etc.). The city isn't trying to provide a service, they're trying to
control the situation. They're not interested in the farmer or his
sales or his customers, but only in sweeping the barn leavings into a
corner where they can be ignored. (Well, not quite that harsh,
hopefully you know what I mean).

So the city isn't going to solve the problem because they ARE the
problem. And you trying to solve the city's problem would be like
trying to teach the pig to sing - it'll frustrate you and only annoy the
pig.

--
Holly ;-D
Contrary Peasant
sojournr AT missouri.org




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