Farmer's Markets

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by iammatt

OK, I stand corrected. They are still jackasses in fleece, hipsters and annoying people with baby carriages. No offense to any normal people in that line.
The times I've seen it lately, it's mostly been asians. They love the LoliLoti. The double-wide Hummer carriages are however all over the place past 11am.

 

[kaxixi]

A friend of mine helped found a local farmer's market (Columbia Heights--it's tiny, but the vendors are excellent: the quality is high, prices are reasonable, and, for those who care, they are legitimately local). My impression from her is that markets vary wildly in their standards for selecting vendors, and my own impression is that it is not trivial to figure out what the boards' standards are.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by kaxixi

A friend of mine helped found a local farmer's market (Columbia Heights--it's tiny, but the vendors are excellent: the quality is high, prices are reasonable, and, for those who care, they are legitimately local). My impression from her is that markets vary wildly in their standards for selecting vendors, and my own impression is that it is not trivial to figure out what the boards' standards are.
absolutely. the quality of any market is at least 80% dictated by the willingness of the manager to work hard and keep things honest. there are markets out here where as many as half of the vendors are quite probably picking up produce from the terminal market rather than growing it themselves.

 

[djblisk]

I heard Hog Island at the Ferry Building sells their oysters by the bushels from truck somewhere in the back of the ferry building if you can't drive all the way to Hog Island. The grilled cheese is fantastic. I would love to figure out their pickling technique for the pickles that come with it.

 

[djblisk]

The Farmer's Market on Sunday at Fort Mason in SF isn't too bad.

 

[Abraxis]

Will have to try the grilled cheese next time I'm at Hog Island. Everytime I go there I just sit and drink beer because I don't eat seafood. I'm a terrible asian.

 

[why]

Farmer's markets in the US are grossly perverted from other countries in a few distinct ways:

- Higher prices than supermarkets. This is largely due to fees charged to vendors by the proprietors, and partially due to the higher costs associated with a lower volume business. Mostly, though, the vendors have to pass on the fees from proprietors to their customers -- there's a reason most farmer's markets are in conspicuous areas and there is a cost associated with that reason.

- Infiltration by middle men. Just as you said, there are a lot of farmer's markets selling the same produce (at a higher price) that is sold by local grocers. I highly doubt farmers in North Carolina and Ohio have both begun planting almond orchards for the ubiquitous 'fresh almond butter'.

- Largely a genteel novelty. People shop at farmer's markets mostly because it's considered healthier and more 'high class' than shopping at supermarkets. If these two draws did not exist, bourgeois market patrons would happily be pushing shopping carts in sweatpants like the proles.

 

[Michigan Planner]

I go to the farmer's market in my neighborhood usually once a month and find that it is totally overpriced for everything, especially produce. But I like seeing the people out for it and there is usually a lot of local artists with crafts that are sort of interesting. But I rarely buy anything other than a cup of coffee. It gets me out of the house on Sunday mornings.

There is another farmer's market a couple times a week next to my office and it has much better prices on produce and great prices on flowers and shrubs. This is a market that you can tell the vendors are actual farmers and have been doing it for years, not just some hobby farmer who does this in his/her spare time.

I have found that the further I get from the central city, the better the prices get on everything at these markets. My parents live out in the sticks and I've checked out the farmer's market near them and they always have better, fresher selections on meat and produce and at prices usually better than their local supermarkets.

 

[foodguy]

Originally Posted by why

Farmer's markets in the US are grossly perverted from other countries in a few distinct ways: - Higher prices than supermarkets. This is largely due to fees charged to vendors by the proprietors, and partially due to the higher costs associated with a lower volume business. Mostly, though, the vendors have to pass on the fees from proprietors to their customers -- there's a reason most farmer's markets are in conspicuous areas and there is a cost associated with that reason. - Infiltration by middle men. Just as you said, there are a lot of farmer's markets selling the same produce (at a higher price) that is sold by local grocers. I highly doubt farmers in North Carolina and Ohio have both begun planting almond orchards for the ubiquitous fresh almond butter. - Largely a genteel novelty. People shop at farmer's markets mostly because it's considered healthier and more genteel than shopping at supermarkets. If these two draws did not exist, most bourgeois market patrons would be pushing shopping carts in sweatpants like the proles.
a kernel of truth in each of these. The economics argument just doesn't hold water, though. Fact is, depending on the item, the farmer gets between 12 and 25% of the supermarket price for anything he grows. At a farmers market, they get 100%, which, after expenses such as gas, market fees, etc., usually runs 20 to 30%. when there is a price difference it is because either a) the farmer thinks the product is worth more and being a good free-market capitalist wants what it is worth (whether most customers agree or not will have an almost-immediate effect on his pricing); or b) an external economic decision, such as thinner margins based on economies of scale at either production or distribution level, or loss-leaders at the market level.

 

[why]

Originally Posted by foodguy

a kernel of truth in each of these. The economics argument just doesn't hold water, though. Fact is, depending on the item, the farmer gets between 12 and 25% of the supermarket price for anything he grows. At a farmers market, they get 100%, which, after expenses such as gas, market fees, etc., usually runs 20 to 30%.
I don't think costs are identical and markets in urban centers have higher prices for no reason other than the greed of farmers. There's a lot more going on in terms of volume, distribution contracts, etc.

 

[FLMountainMan]

There's one within walking distance of my house and I go every Saturday. Great fresh produce dirt cheap. The meats there....not so much.

 

[djblisk]

Also a lot of Farmer Markets have a lot of veggies that a grocery store just wouldn't have.

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by djblisk

Also a lot of Farmer Markets have a lot of veggies that a grocery store just wouldn't have.

very true - though they also sometimes lack a lot of veggies that a grocery store would have in abundance. i haven't seen celery at my farmer's market, ever.

ZOMG I'm a terrible person - I don't know when celery season is.

 

[bBoy JEe]

The Farmer's Markets here in Canada, at least in Ottawa are great in terms of produce and meat... Grass fed, everything free Angus Rib steaks for 9.99\\lb? Bison, Deer, Wilk Boar, Elk etc, also very good prices.

 

[DerekS]

I go every saturday or sunday. Theres one near me and its open 7 days a week. Great place to see some gorgeous women too.