If any of you find yourselves in or around Lafayette on a Saturday in the summer, you could do worse than checking out the Farmer’s Market on 5th Street between Main and South streets. The street is blocked off and, I’d say, 25 – 30 vendors set up stands selling meats, vegetables, plants, breads, and a variety of other things. Enough people show up to browse to make for some low level people watching. It’s pretty nice. If they could somehow fit an outdoor cafe or two into the mix, it’d be even better. It’s nice to have some activity downtown during the weekend, and it’s definitely a positive for the city.
Years ago farmers markets used to very common, not an innovative new marketing plan as they often seem now.The attraction used to be that they were cheaper than going to the store,now they may be more expensive. Farmers’ markets used to be assumed to be ‘organic farming’ but that also is not necessarily so now. The best farmers’ markets I have seen now,which are also commonplace, are here in eastern PA in Amish territory.You can ‘taste the earth’ on the beets,and who eats beets normally? .. If ever you’re in this area, check out small towns between Philadephia and Harrisburg for a farmers’ market. Everyone knows where they are.Reading has a very good one,but the one in Lancaster is the biggest and most well-known.Also of course you can often get prepared food on the spot especially in the ones that have permanent buildings.
I know there are Amish communities in Indiana and Ohio, so next time I will have to see what they offer.
I think without knowing for sure that the vendors at the Lafayette market are selling organic products. The meats are more expensive, but I think the produce is at least competitive. The website says it’s been going on for over 100 years, so it’s not a recent development here — though I’m sure it’s changed form.
Generally, I don’t think people mind paying a little more for their food if it is healthier. Knowing what is healthier and what is not is a trick. It seems like in the U.S. food makes up a relatively low portion of the household budget – increasing it a bit for health benefits is reasonable.
My guess is that distribution is the limiting factor. In most cases, it’s just much more convenient to go to a supermarket where mass produced, mass distributed food can be found. And, even if overall healthiness might be less from the supermarket than from farmer’s markets, it’s probably more reliable. Products at farmer’s markets are uninspected and unregulated — probably not dangerous, but you don’t know for sure. Mass marketed food, with some rare exceptions, exceeds at least a minimum threshold.
Just rambling here. I don’t think I actually have a point.
Is this one of those markets that reminds Mike Pence of Baghdad?
Well, sure. I mean we’re particular about what kind of pesticides are being used on our asparagus, but we don’t get all bent out of shape over the occasional car bomb or random murder.
I’m curious as to what the local health department knows about vendors selling items such as meat and (homemade?) bread. Not that I’m going to to file a complaint, but selling of homemade products (jams, baked goods, etc.) and potentially hazardous foods, such as meat and eggs, are generally not allowed here.
By the way Doug, it is generally said that Lafayette has the oldest continuous farmers market in Indiana. (And it’s held next to the oldest saloon in Indiana.. with no connection!)
I can remember my many years of boyhood– getting up at 3 AM every Saturday to sell at my hometown farmers market in Connersville. We had about a half acre of everything from odd peppers and tomatoes to strawberries and potatoes. Didn’t hurt much that we were in 4-H garden and other projects. Although I moaned and complained back then, that was one of the reasons I came through college with a surplus in the bank.