Farmers market lies exposed: hidden camera investigation (Marketplace)

[NurseJackie]

I must say, this is very disappointing to see. I'll have to be more aware of what's going on at Farmer's Markets and roadside market stands.

Farmers market lies exposed: hidden camera investigation. Is the produce you're buying at the farmers market grown locally? Marketplace goes on an undercover shopping trip and catches vendors lying about where their produce is grown.

[Maraya1969]

1. I was let in on the secret when I picked up an avocado with a sticker on it telling me

it came from Mexico.

I don't even bother going to them anymore.

[NurseJackie]

4. Here's an expose news story about a guy doing something similar...

[Maraya1969]

5. I wonder if that expose' made a dent in his business. I've bought organic veggies

and fruits and haven't worried about washing very well because.....it's all natural. I'd be very pissed to find out I was eating chemicals.

[NurseJackie]

6. His website, domain name, no longer exists...

... so maybe he decided to retire and give up the deception.

http://www.naturesheirlooms.com

[Martin68]

8. I live in Virginia. They don't grow avocados in Virginia.

I'm fairly certain all the produce sold in the Charlottesville farmer's market are locally grown. We have a very active movement here to support locally grown food.

[mopinko]

2. very good. ty. my local market is strict as hell.

one of the reasons i dont hate rahm is that one of the 1st things he did was kick the wholesalers out of the very popular city markets.

[Neema]

3. I can always tell. I stick to specific stalls and I think my criteria works...

All of my favorite farmers market stalls meet at least 2-3 of these criteria, most meet more.

1. Are the farmers present and willing/excited to talk about their produce? All my favorites have at least one of the farmers present, or a long-time worker who knows about the produce inside and out. They're not only knowledgeable about the produce itself, but are also very likely to talk about how it's been growing that season, what's the most delicious way to eat it, and how much longer they'll be offering it. They talk about it like proud parents.

2. Are they organic or at least practicing organic methods? If I'm going to pay a premium for produce at the market, I want to support local farmers who are working hard to be stewards of the land. There's a lot of rigamarole and expense to get certified as organic, too, so it helps weed out scam artists.

3. Do they have a website or social media presence with updates on their farm and their products? They'll share photos of the farm, the crops, the work being done, and on what they're bringing to upcoming markets. A stall picking up produce at a wholesaler won't be able to provide that.

4. Are they on the menus at any local restaurants? My favorite farms are often featured on the menus of high-end local restaurants. If a top chef is choosing their produce for his or her restaurant, I feel pretty good about choosing them as well.

5. Do they have a CSA, or host farm dinners or farm visits? Not all growers are big enough to offer CSA shares or farm visits, but if they are doing this, it's a good bet they're legit.

6. Are they a non-profit or associated with one? A lot of the smaller operations I visit at the market have a social mission like supporting refugees, teaching children about nutrition and how to grow their own food, or raising awareness about inner city food deserts.

[dalton99a]

7. Kick