Wednesday, September 2, 2009
growers markets
Once I decided to supplement the greenhouse income with growing and selling produce, I started researching local growers markets. My emphasis is on growers markets rather than farmers markets because many the vendors at farmers markets have turned into re-sellers of produce rather than growers of produce. Around here, many will go to the docks down in Philadelphia, buy produce, clean it up and sell it. Or in-season buy it locally, perhaps. So many times, folks going to a farmers market still don't really know where or how their produce was grown or when it was harvested. And they don't even know that they don't know. At growers markets, the vendors are the farmers, and they are required to grow what they sell. The produce is fresh, local, and seasonal. And that's something I can get behind.
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3 comments:
Morning Kathleen,
You are so right. I live not far from you and most of the amish product stands don't grow the produce they sell. If I'm lucky it was grown by a neighbor and not picked up at the docks.
Will you share where you got the list of growers so that I too can support them? We have our own garden this year but the frequent rains have caused most of it to rot this year. Only the hardiest crops survived~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
HI Again,
I read backwards to the beginning of your blog and I see where you are going with this. Sounds like you will be selling seedlings at Landis Valley Herb Festival as well as your farm if that works out. Fingers crossed for you.
This year I bought heirloom seeds from Bakers creek. Most of what I got could go right into the garden but the eggplants had to be started inside before Spring. I must admit I am not the best at raising plants from seed my poor eggplants straggled along and are finally producing in the garden. One of the heirlooms is so large it comes up to my chest, and we are talking about an eggplant here! I've never seen one so big. Don't know how that happened with the beetle damage early in the spring it must have been all the rain. Has many flowers hope they get the chance to mature. I must admit that most of the little plants died for me.
If you are intending to sell at LV Herb Festival I will forever be a loyal customer of your heirloom plants. I shop there every year. What I have noticed is that most of the people there do no have Heirloom seedlings and that is a top priority for me. Thanks for listening.~ ~Ahrisha~ ~
Ahrisha,
I know what you mean about crops rotting. pretty much the same thing here.
I'm not sure where you live, but if you head south from Lancaster on 272 towards the Buck, there are two farm stands on your right. The one closest to Lancaster grows all their own produce. The one closer to Buck buys some of theirs. Also in downtown Lancaster is Eastern Market it is a growers market. I believe there is just one stand there that does not grow their own food - the rationale being that they bring citrus and other tropicals that the local Latin market wants. Which reminds me - one of their growers is Lime Valley Mill produce. Nice folks and grow all their own stuff. They are just outside of Willow Street.
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