Farmer's Markets

[bvar22]

1. Good and Bad.

We don't participate in our local Farmer's Market for a number of reasons.
Transportation costs, packaging, and the additional labor wouldn't be cost effective for us at our level of production,
and increasing production is not something we are contemplating at this time.

However, being active in our rural community of sustainable, organic gardeners, bee keepers, and egg producers,
we DO know several who do.
Some are retired Hobby Farmers who enjoy the activity, and don't mind if it costs them money to participate.
Left alone, they tend to undercut those who DO need to make a profit by selling at a loss just for the gratification of having someone admire their produce. This leads to all kinds of problems.
When the day is done, it is really difficult to make enough money to make it worthwhile,
unless you are doing it on a pretty large scale.

And then there ARE vendors who are dishonest about how their produce was grown or handled, and will lie to your face with a smile if it means a few extra dollars in their pocket.
Oversight is really non-existent, less than at your local supermarket.

YMMV,
but don't be surprised at the politics, greed, petty fiefdoms, and back biting you may find behind the curtain at any American enterprise where people need to make money, even something as "enlightened" as a Organic Farmer's Market.