Thanks all - your notes make terrific sense and your arguments are clear. Anon really hits the nail on the head, from my perspective. Is the Minneapolis Farmers Market a green grocer that feeds its neighborhood, or is it a place where city residents can connect with local food and farmers? Maybe its the desire to be both that has us confused? Or maybe that's what makes it great?
This farmers/resellers distinction and the rule banning reselling of produce that is in season locally is news to me. Is there an easy way to tell the farmers and resellers apart (aside from the presence of bananas, etc.), and how do I know what the market considers to be officially in season?
After reading this I do get how the resellers can be good for the neighborhood, but as someone who doesn't live in the neighborhood and has to drive past many nice (super)markets to get to a farmers market in the hope of getting better quality produce, it is so much simpler to go to St. Paul (even though it is further away). The Minneapolis Farmers Market always seems like such a crapshoot to me. If I go to St. Paul and see strawberries, I know what I'm getting. If they aren't in season, they aren't there. If I go to Minneapolis it seems I really have no idea unless I interrogate every vendor every week about every item.
I think if the vendors were just required to post the place of origin of each item alongside the price, I would have no complaints and would visit a lot more often. Maybe I am missing something obvious, though. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one--I've lived here a long time and have never heard anyone say that the Minneapolis Farmers Market was a good place to find local produce. It's always St. Paul or Mill City...Minneapolis only as a last resort.
Last I checked, Dole Pineapples are not what would be termed "fair trade." But that is ok.
To counter Anon's point above, I'm not really sure what "integrity of the market" is. I guess people's views can differ. But in my view, the cool thing about really good markets (of which I consider the Mpls market one) is vibrancy. Different people selling different things to meet different needs.
I've been to amazing markets in central mexico, columbia, and russia (of all places). In my experience, these markets have everything from local produce to knock off sunglasses to car parts- all in one place.
So, let the market be what it is, and if Anon only wants to buy from local growers, more power to him/her. As for me, I'd rather support a small re-seller than a big chain grocery for my pineapples.
For the record, they are not snow pea pods in the garden. They are sugar snap peas. Apparently, Lee is too lazy to even know what exactly he is eating.
For me buying from a reseller misses the entire point of going to the farmers market - namely the farmer. I go to farmer's markets to buy products that people have grown or made with their own hands. The greatest joy I get from the market is talking to the farmers about what they're doing and why. Seeing bananas sold out of Dole boxes makes me question the integrity of the whole market.
It's great that you are serving a community that's under-served and all, but it also undermines the value that you provide for the people who actually farm.
Perhaps you should have two sections, one for farmers and one for vendors.
my sister in law and husband have a hand-made pottery bussiness and make a good portion of their livelyhood at the mpls market. also their daughter plays violin beautifully and makes a decent chunck of change in tips playing there. i like the grand size and scope of the mpls market, love the people watching and brats! but for actual grocery shopping i prefer the st. paul farmers market or my neighborhood one, the midtown farmer's market.
Sandy, thank you so much for being part of the conversation. Your honest, straightforward response, your willingness to confront, and your focus on the mission help us all - and the market too.
That was a couple of weeks ago when the strawberries were just starting to come in, that reseller was sited and told to stop selling them. Amy might have seen his stall; at the same time, one of the board members confronted him regarding the rules.
So he was busted.
Sandra Hill, Communications Director
Central Minnesota Vegetable Growers Association
Office 612-333-1718
Cell 651-895-7568
Fax 651-457-3319
E-mail sandymfm@cs.com
Thanks all - your notes make
Thanks all - your notes make terrific sense and your arguments are clear. Anon really hits the nail on the head, from my perspective. Is the Minneapolis Farmers Market a green grocer that feeds its neighborhood, or is it a place where city residents can connect with local food and farmers? Maybe its the desire to be both that has us confused? Or maybe that's what makes it great?
This farmers/resellers
This farmers/resellers distinction and the rule banning reselling of produce that is in season locally is news to me. Is there an easy way to tell the farmers and resellers apart (aside from the presence of bananas, etc.), and how do I know what the market considers to be officially in season?
After reading this I do get how the resellers can be good for the neighborhood, but as someone who doesn't live in the neighborhood and has to drive past many nice (super)markets to get to a farmers market in the hope of getting better quality produce, it is so much simpler to go to St. Paul (even though it is further away). The Minneapolis Farmers Market always seems like such a crapshoot to me. If I go to St. Paul and see strawberries, I know what I'm getting. If they aren't in season, they aren't there. If I go to Minneapolis it seems I really have no idea unless I interrogate every vendor every week about every item.
I think if the vendors were just required to post the place of origin of each item alongside the price, I would have no complaints and would visit a lot more often. Maybe I am missing something obvious, though. Unfortunately, I'm not the only one--I've lived here a long time and have never heard anyone say that the Minneapolis Farmers Market was a good place to find local produce. It's always St. Paul or Mill City...Minneapolis only as a last resort.
Last I checked, Dole
Last I checked, Dole Pineapples are not what would be termed "fair trade." But that is ok.
To counter Anon's point above, I'm not really sure what "integrity of the market" is. I guess people's views can differ. But in my view, the cool thing about really good markets (of which I consider the Mpls market one) is vibrancy. Different people selling different things to meet different needs.
I've been to amazing markets in central mexico, columbia, and russia (of all places). In my experience, these markets have everything from local produce to knock off sunglasses to car parts- all in one place.
So, let the market be what it is, and if Anon only wants to buy from local growers, more power to him/her. As for me, I'd rather support a small re-seller than a big chain grocery for my pineapples.
Any chance those pineapples
Any chance those pineapples and bananas are Fair Trade? I'd feel a lot better about buying them.
If it's local, green, and
If it's local, green, and within arms reach, you can count me in.
For the record, they are not
For the record, they are not snow pea pods in the garden. They are sugar snap peas. Apparently, Lee is too lazy to even know what exactly he is eating.
For me buying from a reseller
For me buying from a reseller misses the entire point of going to the farmers market - namely the farmer. I go to farmer's markets to buy products that people have grown or made with their own hands. The greatest joy I get from the market is talking to the farmers about what they're doing and why. Seeing bananas sold out of Dole boxes makes me question the integrity of the whole market.
It's great that you are serving a community that's under-served and all, but it also undermines the value that you provide for the people who actually farm.
Perhaps you should have two sections, one for farmers and one for vendors.
my sister in law and husband
my sister in law and husband have a hand-made pottery bussiness and make a good portion of their livelyhood at the mpls market. also their daughter plays violin beautifully and makes a decent chunck of change in tips playing there. i like the grand size and scope of the mpls market, love the people watching and brats! but for actual grocery shopping i prefer the st. paul farmers market or my neighborhood one, the midtown farmer's market.
Sandy, thank you so much for
Sandy, thank you so much for being part of the conversation. Your honest, straightforward response, your willingness to confront, and your focus on the mission help us all - and the market too.
-Lee
Re: Amy's comment about the
Re: Amy's comment about the strawberries:
That was a couple of weeks ago when the strawberries were just starting to come in, that reseller was sited and told to stop selling them. Amy might have seen his stall; at the same time, one of the board members confronted him regarding the rules.
So he was busted.
Sandra Hill, Communications Director
Central Minnesota Vegetable Growers Association
Office 612-333-1718
Cell 651-895-7568
Fax 651-457-3319
E-mail sandymfm@cs.com