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TOL Our Town
- A tumblr site dedicated to the people and places that make up Oregon and Southwest Washington.
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Loves_Chocolate's comments:
on Lunch at the Beverly Hilton
Yes, my congratulations on winning this award. Your show is superb. It doesn't solve the world's problems in an hour, but you always have interesting topics and guests.
Keep up the good work!
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on Farmers Market Economy
Really?
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on Farmers Market Economy
Low income clients are eligible for WIC and senior coupons through the department of health & human services to be used specifically for fresh, unprocessed fruit/produce at farm stands and farmers' markets.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on Farmers Market Economy
I am a farmers' wife and I don't know any Oregon farmers who own farms in Mexico. I don't know anyone who sells at a Portland-area farmers' market who ships in produce from his/her farm in Mexico. Please elaborate on that statement.
I always thought that only "Oregon Tilth certified" means truly organic practices.
Yes, going up to Maryhill and purchasing peaches and reselling at Portland markets is not uncommon.
You state that "California regulates the markets". I have read articles complaining about the reselling problem in California.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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on Farmers Market Economy
As someone who has worked at several farmers' market for more than 20 years, I have seen some market vendors purchase and bring in fruit/produce/plants from other farmers and wholesalers and selling it as their own. Our family farm takes pride in only selling the items that we grow and harvest. That is the true reason for the existence of a farmers' market. - bringing the customer the best locally grown product when it's in season for our area. I believe these resellers (or peddlers) are ripping off the consumers who think they are getting something fresh and direct from the person who grew the product. (However, I know from experience that there are many market shoppers who don't really care about that - they are just looking for the lowest price possible.)
I also believe that market managers (and farmers' market boards of directors) are also to blame for looking the other way. Many times they refuse to investigate when they are told that certain vendors do not grow crops that they are selling at the markets. Managers are more interested in filling up every booth space on market day (and collecting the fee) instead of keeping their vendors honest.
Some markets have a policy of allowing the vendor to supplement with product from another farmer. For example, 70 percent must be grown by the vendor and 30 percent can be from his/her neighbor (not the produce wholesaler), clearly labeled as to its origin. A policy of 100 percent grown by the vendor and spot checking of vendors' farms would eliminate much of this buying.
For growers who are too small to rent an entire booth, perhaps, a consignment booth operated by the market could be an option.
Vendors who buy their product on Friday and then truck it to the market on Saturday have no investment in their product. By that I mean, they can work at a job other than farming all week, buy something that might have been sitting in the wholesaler's cooler for a week or two on Friday, repackage it, and then sell it on Saturday. They did not order seed, toil in the field, deal with the weather, pay wages to employees, etc. So, come market day, these people will undercut the prices of legitimate farmers, pocket as much as they can, go home and repeat the cycle the following week.
posted 2 years, 11 months ago
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