Tom Billings wrote, in part...

> Also, Farmers Markets are not always the farmer operations they claim to
> be. In California, only farmers can get licensed to sell at such
> markets, but there is a loophole: some farmers loan their license to
> a peddler, who gives the farmer a cut. Thus some of the sellers
> at California "Farmers Markets" are not the actual growers, but simply
> resellers of the exact same produce you can get in health food stores and
> supermarkets (often at a lower price, and  where - unlike the Farmers
> Markets - the produce has been more consistently refrigerated).
> Under these circumstances, you really are not supporting farmers by
> buying at such markets - except in those cases when the seller is a
> farmer and selling produce he/she actually grew.

Excellent points about farmers' markets, Tom.  It is almost impossible to
tell what you're getting at such markets unless you get to know your local
growers.

C