say something? hell ya.

Rather than tear someone else down, try building yourself up.

Make a nice sign emphasizing LOCALLY GROWN, organinc if you can, heirloom if appropriate and have a sampling plate.

Don't worry about it, fuel costs are gonna stop the 3000 mile salad.

Do they sell typical grocery store stuff? Maybe you could grow unusual produce. I don't sell at a market, but co-workers are always fascinated with black beefsteaks or yellow cherry tomatoes, Thai or red basil - stuff theyÂll never find at their grocery store.

I live in Northern California and the whole concept of locally grown, heirloom, gourmet, hard-to-find, seasonal produce (and very often organic or sustainably grown) is very important to many people. At the same time, our regular supermarkets have boxes of tomatoes from California, Florida, and Mexico, and these are generally all bland, tasteless, supermarket-tomato variety. For us, heirloom tomatoes run around $2.49/pound at farmers markets at the height of the season, to about $4.09/pound at the beginning/end of the season. Organically grown heirlooms are often another dollar more. At the supermarkets here, even the bland tomatoes start at about $1.99/pound. I cannot even fathom California-grown tomatoes of any kind being 40cents/pound. Even with wholesale distribution, to truck it with the cost of fuel these days. Basically, what I'm saying is that these cannot be very good tasting if they are indeed from California, because the market here will bear higher prices than 40 cents/pound. I've never done canning so maybe canning tomatoes aren't not the pick of the crop? In any event, I think all the previous posters to your original post are right, yes, say/do something, and yes, compete by marketing your stuff: grow cool varieties that get attention, bring a little chalk board or handmade sign like dave1 suggested and advertise! even put up a little note about yourself and why you do this. I know for me, I love knowing that the person I am buying from at a green market, has a story of why they grow food, and I love that, chances are, s/he or her/his family picked the produce that morning or the day before, and I'm willing to pay a bit of a premium on it. good luck to you and I would love to know if you find out more about where exactly those tomatoes are from and if they have any flavor to them!

I thought it didn't bother me, but I guess it has been eating at me. I am tired of their lowball prices and generic produce.

Sprouts: They have corn, red tomatoes, canteloupe, Zucchini, Cucumbers, and other basic generic stuff. They know nothing about it, just take money and put it in a bag.

I just don't want our market to be know for low quality, low price stuff. I want it to be know for high quality, locally grown produce that is appropriately priced.

Despite their low ball prices, I have been having a wonderful year. Sales are really good. I grow the usual red tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, and potatoes. However I do have lots of variety that not many people have seen.

I have 9 types of cucumbers, 12 different types of squash (most is done, fall planting coming soon) heirloom tomatoes, 6 types of cherry tomatoes, every color of bell pepper (I think), 4 types of potatoes, and much, much more! I get lots of positive comments about quality and taste. It is always nice to have your customers sell your stuff for you. I bet I here it every 10 minutes. Someones says how does this taste and before I say anything, a customer chimes in and says "It is the best _______, I have ever had, it is wonderful, didn't last a day because we ate it all, if you don't buy it I will, etc, etc, etc.

I just don't have a tactful way of saying "Sell somewhere else or raise your prices!"

Terrybull: I love your comment!

Thanks everyone and please keep your comments coming!

garden web also has a market garden forum. I recommend you open a thread there. other market people will have good comments.

Hi JrSlick,

I agree with Dan, this is a marketing problem that is experienced continually in small markets. They want market share or entry by undercutting prices and forcing others out. With less competition, they will raise their pricing while continuing to use inferior produce. The MG Forum will have people with good suggestions. IMHO maintain quality, use reasonable pricing and differentiate yourself from the bottom feeders. Make their life miserable by staying in the game, making sure they are honest but mainly by not going away. Advertising is key as others have intelligently stated. Consumers can differentiate and want to make the smart choice. Good luck. Aloha

I responded to a similar post on the market garden forum.
These people are undermining the purpose of farmer's markets.
Some people start these markets and have no vision or structure. They are detrimental to the concept of locally grown, and have no business running a market. I would bring this to the attention of the coordinators. I would also get together with other vendors and get them all in agreement that these practices are not what a market is suppose to be.
If it falls on deaf ears, move on.
JMO.

In our area the only reason to go to a farmer's market is to get local produce. With all the most recent news, I think there are alot of people looking for local produce. I'd put that sign out saying local produce. I can only say that if I bought tomatoes at the local farmer's market and found out they came from out of town, I'd be ticked.

Carolyn P.

Last year we had an early frost and I lost all my tomato plants and was unable to can. I went to the farmers market and bought a case of tomatoes. I did not pay attention to the California produce box it came in. I was not happy with any of the canned tomatoes and tossed them all away. Last Wednesday I was at a local farmers market and notice most had the California boxes however I found one that did not and I bought a bunch of japalernos for pickling. I asked if they were from Mexico and she said they grew them here in Elk River Minnesota. I found out they have a 20 acre hobby farm and she gave me a Business card to get tomatoes this fall if I need them and they would be home grown. This was a painful learning experience for me but the taste is worth it. I think you need to find local farmers like this and only buy from them. There was a big expo in the news about this local farmers market type scamming. Produce stores would not buy are being resold at these markets and sold as homegrown.

A good market garden site will not allow produce that is not grown locally by the person selling it. Selling California produce is forbidden and those people should be banned from selling. Stand up for your rights. Do not let them damage the reputation of the farmers market.

I would talk immediately to the person who runs the market and fix this problem.

pick your own tomatoes locally are 30 cents a pound here right now ($16.00 a bushel).

They were around $4.00 locally not very many yrs. ago.

I know that what I raise in my backyard garden costs me small fortune for seeds, manure, straw mulch, fertilizer, rope to tie them up, metal stakes to keep em off the ground, Daconil for blight, Malathion for insects, water during dry periods. Plus all the hours of labor I put into raising them.

Just what should they be valued at? All the market can bear would be my thought. LOL

But I eat them and give the rest to neighbors for free.

just a thought. Can you get a petition among all the other local growers stating all you good reasons for not wanting this vendor at the market? Take it to the person in charge and state your case.

I would love to take this problem to the person in charge, but there isn't anyone. This market is set up through the Extension Service. They petition the county commision to use the courthouse parking lot and have the master gardeners collect info for sales tax. The only rules are based from the state and there is no enforcement. I would go to our Ag Extension agent and talk to him, but he resigned the position 2 months ago. I could talk to the Master Gardeners about it, but since we have no organization and rules, I think we are out of luck! The only thing I think we can do is set up rules for the next year.

To bad John Wayne wasn't still around. He would know what to do about it! :)

I am sure glad I am not the only one who feels outrage at this "Farm".

For those who ask me to post on the Market forum. I read that thread alot but there is not much traffic as we have here.

Thanks!

Who are your buyers? Are you in a small town? Perhaps alerting the townfolk (Like J Wayne, run them out of town) to the situation and get a boycott going. You need to be real sure of all the facts, of course. Where the produce is grown at etc. etc.
So basically it's anyone who pays to set up their stand is in?

Presumably the extension service is setting this market up to benefit local producers, not help anyone who can drive a truck up to a food terminal and load up on the same stuff that goes to the grocery store. You should talk to them about either not allowing this practice or creating some sort of special designation for people who actually grow their food. This is a problem all over the place by the way.

Fortunately, more and more people are becoming aware of the health and environmental benefits of food that is growing locally. Once they know that your food is fresh and not trucked in, many consumers are now much more willing to pay more. I know I am.

Here is a link that might be useful: 100 mile diet

I agree with the comments about growing special varieties. Small scale always wins with labor intensive activity while the big guy always wins on scale. I love basil but lemon or lime basil is a different animal all around and is simply great. Exotic Toms, ground cherries etc will certainly interest me. I doubt a big grower would even try. You may even benefit from the others as they draw in the business as long as you do not go head to head. I ran a small business in my twenties and I know this well. If it took a little more time and care it was an item I could sell over the big boys.

quality is everything. i build custom doors and my customers want quality, they are always not that interested in a little price difference.

The New Yori City farm markets require that the produce be grown by the vendor and have banned vendors who purchase stuff for resale. In order to guarantee this, they inspect the farms and want to see the crops growing. A local farmer's market should be just that and the rules for vendors (and there are lots of rules) should require that the produce be grown by the vendor.
There was an article in the NY Times about this recently with a big vendor being totally banned from the NYC green markets for selling stuff purchased at wholesale and repacked.
It's up to the farmers who are on the up and up to make sure that there are rules and they are enforced. Otherwise a so-called farmer's market just turns into a branch of a supermarket and sells the same junk.
At our local market, the name and address of the farm is on every booth (another rule).

I would always prefer local, organic grown over anything else. My 2 cents :)

I would say something!

Just to mention, that I have never sold any of my own stuff as I usually give away what I don't use :) But I do go the the farmers market here in Boulder :) I know last year tomatoes were going for 3.99/lb.

Everyone has some good ideas for helping YOU stand out. I took a look at the info page on the Boulder farmers market to see what kind of rules they had in place....the very FIRST thing you read is..."All products sold by Farmer members at the Boulder County Farmers' Market must be grown by that farmer/grower. No reselling of products is allowed."

That would cut out that person right there!

They also mention that it is now only open to people in the boulder county (so VERY local), though people in neighboring counties can get in with approval by the board.

Anyway, just thought I would throw that out there :)

Laura

I think you locals might want to band together to define some type of brand mark or seal that denotes "locally grown". Then to illustrate why your doing it, have one particular Saturday with free tomatoes. Use this to draw everyone to your stands and a conversation starter regarding your movement. One full day with no sales will send a clear message to the other vendor. And once most patrons know the story, I think they'll be much more wiliing to your market prices on subsequent visits. Perhaps you could each do a "free tomotato with any other purchase" or something to keep it reasonable and still accomplish the intended effect. Good luck

You will always have someone who is doing things like that.
We are allowed to resell at our market--as long as the produce was locally produced, defined as being produced within our state or the surrounding states touching Indiana.They do check to make sure the rules are being followed too.
It sounds like the problem is with the definition of the farmers market rules. You need to have a meeting with the vendors and who ever is in charge of the market and define the rules. Then if their produce is from the wholesaler, you can just put them out, according to the rules.
And if they are selling local produce in used boxes, there's nothing you can do short of asking them to raise their price.

Jay, I don't know if you have received a response to your question, but my guess regarding where the 40 cents tomatoes are grown is Mexico. More than several large California vegetable growers have moved their operations to Mexico due to labor issues! The NY Times wrote about this phenomenon earlier this year. Unfortunately, we need only to follow the salmonella trail.

Here is a link that might be useful: Short on Labor, Farmers in U.S. Shift to Mexico

Don't just say something. Plan something. You're a teacher right? Well then you know that there are two sides to this story. The big seller with low prices (BSLP) no doubt feels they have to make a living somehow and they are bringing cheap produce to people who want it. They'll probably feel you already have a job, why are you worried about them making a living? You, rightly IMO, worry both about the character of the market, and the potential of locally grown produce to improve health and environment.

In my internet opinion (sort of like that eminently useful but maligned body part that everyone has), you need to A) talk to the other sellers about this and see how many of them are authentically on your side. B) approach the extension agent, or even city government with the GROUP's support. Getting at least a few customers to sign on will also strengthen this. C) begin educating your customers about what they are paying for. They've been taught to pay as little as possible for things. Mostly, that's a good idea. The problem is that somethings seem good but represent huge externalized cost (environmental and social). With your recipes (you hand these out don't you?) include a short paragraph about the importance of buying real, local, produce. Freely plagiarizer Micheal Pollan if needed.

Sorry if that's a bit of a rant. I just think you need to not only fight for what is right, but do so carefully and with a plan.