Half of produce at farm stands could come from grocery stores
APPLETON, Wis. — It’s a growing problem: some of the vegetables for sale in farm markets may have come from a local grocery store.
Farmers might resort to buying vegetables from outside sources — including Amish wholesale auction houses, other farms and grocery stores — to supplement booths, or at times when their own farms aren’t producing.
In some instances, they’re pushed by the punishing need to fill a table every week come hell or high water.
Granted, it’s not exactly a scandal. Shoppers might not care because they still like the farm market experience. And after all, these outdoor markets are selling vegetables and fruit, which are good for you no matter where they come from and how they’re sold.
But if not properly labeled, they're giving a false impression that all of the produce was freshly picked out of local soil. Booths might be charging dearly for something that was trucked in.
It irks farmers who are following the rules, working on slim profit margins and sweating it out when Mother Nature throws them a curve.
“It’s like going to Napa Valley and they’re pouring ‘two buck chuck’ and charging $20 a glass for it,” said Nami Moon Farms co-owner Chris Holman. “We’re like the winemakers. What’s at a farm market should be an artisan product. It should be qualitatively better.”
Another farm, Olden Organics in the town of Rosendale, Wis., sells in Appleton, Oshkosh and Green Lake farm markets. Co-owner Tracy Vinz said she’s seen unlabeled outside produce at some booths for years.
“I think it’s gotten worse,” said Vinz. “Weather patterns are changing and it’s easier to buy it and sell it than grow it and sell it. Nobody has that much (to sell right now) because we’ve had such horrible weather.”
She doesn’t quibble with those who bring in things from other farms and are honest about it. She, in fact, will have blueberries from one Michigan farm because that’s something customers want that she can’t grow.
“My concern is that people are not labeling that they don’t grow it. The customer thinks they’re talking to the person who grew the stuff. In actuality, they’re not. They think they're supporting a local farm.”
Vinz is on the board of the Oshkosh Farmers Market, where farmers are allowed to have up 50% resale, meaning half of the food at the booth might not be grown on the local farms.
That lenient allowance was put into place so the market could have a wider array of fruit and vegetables. But, Vinz said even with the generous 50% rule, there are violators.
“A woman told us she saw a vendor in Oshkosh buy asparagus at Pick ‘n Save," she said. "Then she saw that vendor selling it here at the market. It had rubber bands on it that had a different farm name on them.”
The board is now starting to do farm visits to curb the practice of bringing in too much from outside.
Related
Forget wholesome, people more likely to choose vegetables that sound unhealthy
Is washing your produce a waste of time?
Strawberries and these other foods have the most pesticides
How to know
One tip-off of resale is if a booth has out-of-season produce and doesn’t operate a hothouse.
The University of Wisconsin’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems has a detailed seasonal fruit and vegetable growing chart at www.cias.wisc.edu.
In short, early crops in farm markets include peas, radishes, beets, asparagus, salad greens, scallions, herbs, strawberries, rhubarb and hothouse tomatoes.
“Right now, there shouldn’t be any broccoli or cauliflower. No cruciferous vegetables because they take longer to grow. Certainly no corn. Shouldn’t be any green beans,” said Wall.
Exceptions might exist for storage crops, things grown in greenhouses or hydroponics, which can produce tomatoes and cucumbers outside the normal growing season.
Follow Maureen Wallenfang on Twitter: @wallenfang