Farmer’s Market Etiquette 101

I’d be hard pressed to find someone in New York City to argue negatively about the idea of eating more locally grown produce or locally made foods.  Let’s face it, green fever has been sweeping this city for the past decade, and along with it has emerged a thriving 'œgreen market culture.'   (Yes, San Francisco, I hear you.  You’ve been ahead of us for years.)  We are in the midst of my favorite season at the farmer’s markets.  Sunny orbs of squash, bouquets of basil, sweet nectarines, and mountains of circus colored heirloom tomatoes grace the tables.  And with fall around the corner, with apples and pumpkins and herb wreaths, there is so much to look forward to.  I speak from experience because one of my (many) part-time jobs is working at the Lincoln Center green market for Farmer Ron (the third) of Stokes Farm.

Most people we interact with are super friendly and grateful that the green markets exist.  However, New Yorkers '“ with their own brand of assertiveness and honesty '“ sometimes need a few reminders of proper farmer’s market etiquette.  (Look, we’ve all been there '“ maddeningly hot sticky day, running late, inundated with the multitudes of options, consumer advertisement, noise, and slow shoppers '“ but the farmer’s market is just not the place to take out your bad day aggression.  It’s kind of like hating on ice cream.  Or joy.)  And because I know that it helps to get reminders from time to time, I’ve compiled a little list of Farmer’s Market Etiquette Tips.

1. Patience is key. Remember that phrase, stop and smell the roses?  Well we aren’t selling roses right now, but we are selling heaps of fragrant herbs, and it is totally cool for you to smell them!    Don’t do your market shopping when you are in a hurry.  Chances are you will get stuck behind a 'œsloth shopper' or a 'œtalker.' We will appreciate your generosity of spirit, and nothing looks worse than losing your cool over vegetables.
2. Ask (non-obvious) Questions. One of the things people love about the farmer’s markets is that you are able to have a personal connection with the person actually growing or raising the food.   So feel free to ask the farmer questions!  But don’t ask questions like, 'œWhat can I do with basil?' or 'œWhat type of flower will grow in my windowless, natural lightless cubicle?' (Answers: 'œCookbooks are fantastic resources.' and 'œNothing.')
3. Don’t be afraid to try something new or unusual. Husk tomatoes were a new thing I discovered today.  They are small, berry-sized tomatoes covered in a tomatillo-like husk that, when ripe, taste almost like pineapple.  I learned that lemon basil makes a delicious pesto when mixed with Greek basil.  And goat meat from Lynnhaven Farm is next on my list of things to try.
4. Expect the prices to be a little bit higher for some items.  For example, heirloom tomatoes, because of the difficulty in growing them and their limited season, will be more expensive than regular tomatoes.  When shopping for produce on a budget, items like squash, zucchini, green beans, kirbies, and lettuce are a great way to go.  Because you know that the farms providing your food are not shipping in from overseas and are many times family run, you might pay a little more for your food.  However, your karma will be bursting with positive energy!   (PS. It is ALWAYS rude to throw a bag of produce back in the face of the person helping you and march off in a huff if you think the prices are to high.  It’s a lot of work to be a farmer.)
5. Smile! We recognize you from week to week, so you don’t have to be shy.
6. Tell us about your successful recipes. Stokes Farm, and I’m sure many other farms, has a website where they feature recipes using their produce.  Yours would be a welcome addition!
7. Come early for the best selection. We’re ready to go by 7:20ish am.  At 1 pm, you can expect some things to be gone or picked through, especially on hot days.
8. Don’t squeeze the tomatoes. (This was a request directly from Farmer Ron.)
9. A couple bugs, a little dirt, and some wet produce '“ It’s ok. The produce was in the ground up until late last night or early this morning.  It comes with the territory.
10. Bring your own bag. I know you’ve been over-saturated with this message, but plastic bags are horrible wastes!  If it were up to me, I’d charge everyone $.50 a pop.  (But then maybe that’s why I am not the successful farmer in this picture')
11. Not every single type of veggie needs its own bag! (Yes.  More on the bag issue.) The farmers provide plastic bags for your convenience, but please use them sparingly. Some people walk away with 5 or 6 different plastic bags, with one vegetable in each, that they then place in their eco-friendly reusable tote.  So not cool folks.
12. Comments about the weather are nice. If it is freezing cold, hot and humid, or rainy, the workers appreciate it if you empathize with them.  But when you know we’ll be out there for at least 10 hours longer than you’ll be, please don’t whine and complain about how much the weather is bothering you.
13. Don’t haggle, especially on frigid or hot or rainy days. If you are nice and a regular face, most of the time Farmer Ron will give you something for free.  Like I said before, it’s a lot of work to be a farmer.  The prices are what they are.
14. If you think one of the workers is flirting with you, chances are they are. Take a risk and slip them your number is you are available and interested!  Many eclectic types of people work the markets, not just farmers.  (Not that farmers are bad catches.)  I’ve known book editors who work Saturdays for some extra cash, filmmakers and artists, and teachers on break for the summer.

Finally, there’s something else I wanted to bring up: the Myth of Being Organic.  Pretty much the #1 question we get is 'œAre you organic?' Stokes Farm is not organic.  They don’t spray, but they do use fertilizer.  Like most consumers out there, I initially thought this meant that they were 'œless healthy/good for the environment' than their organic competitors.  What I learned upon talking with Farmer Ron and doing my own research is that, while we’ve been trained to believe otherwise, organic is not necessarily better for you, the environment, or the world.

For one thing, Stokes Farm is a small 17-acre farm, and if they were to turn organic, the losses in productivity in the first few years would pretty much put them out of business.  Another thing I didn’t know is that organic produce has not been proven to actually be better for you.  Organic farmers still spray their produce with 'œnatural' pesticides and copper, and these taken in large quantities would also be lethal to humans. We also have been taught to believe that 'œorganic' is this idealized, pastoral picture of family farm life, but that is just not the truth of the organic industry anymore. In fact, as organic has become mainstream, the scarcity of organic ingredients has led organic farmers to resort to shipping ingredients or produce in from places around the world where standards might be hard to enforce, workers’ wages and living conditions are unethical, and increased farmland comes at a cost to the natural environment.

But, we’re broke-asses here, right?  There’s nothing wrong with organic foods, but personally, I am not sure I would spend more for it.  I enjoy knowing that my food travels no more than 25 miles to reach me, and that I know my farmer.  It’s also a fact that farmers have among the lowest cancer rates of any group.  If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.

Which leads me to my final broke-ass tip for the day.  Next time you find yourself at the farmer’s market, take the time to look around, observe people, and enjoy the day '“ whatever the weather may be.  We live in a vibrant, interesting city, and I guarantee, you’ll find characters, romantics, and loons wandering in and about the produce.  Their fervor and passion will be sure to inspire you and re-energize your day.