Are All Farmers Markets Organic?

Question

Sorry I'm quite new to shopping organic, but I was told the best and most cost efficient way to buy bulk produce (raw vegan) was at farmers markets. Thanks

Answer 1

What you need to think about is how more than likely the foods that the farmers bring to sell to people are in the state that they would consume themselves. With that said I doubt they would put anything harmful on the foods that they would not ingest themselves and provide their families with.

Answer 2

few farmers markets in the USA are all Organic. There are some that require all growers selling at the market to be either USDA certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown. But the vast majority do not care how the growers grow and many do not care if the sellers grew it or not (i.e. they allow reselling)



So the question to ask the market is "Do you allowing any reselling" if the answer is yes stay away as the food sold by resellers is generally the same food you would find at your chain groceries only a bit more expensive



The questions to ask the farmers is is your farm certified Organic and if not do you grow organically. Now if not certified Organic you will have to have good knowledge about how Organic farms are managed in order to assess how a farmers answer that question. There are a lot of us farmers who do indeed grow what we sell using organic methods but are not certified Organic with the USDA but used to be certified Organic before the USDA gave us the national Organics program and have not changed how we farm and still do pertinent research, buy all Organic inputs, grow soils, practice crop rotation, grow cover crops, avoid GMO's like the plague, etc., etc.



Pretty much every farmers market that enforces the locally grown rule has several organic farmers selling. Just ask around and be prepared to get an earful about how we run our farms. We farmers generally love to talk to our customers about that sort of thing.

Answer 3

Short answer - no.



Long answer - it's not the farmers' market that is organic, it's the farmers AT the market that may or may not be.



Farmers' markets concentrate the farmers and the shoppers at one place and time, making it more efficient for both. The farmers have access to more buyers than they would if they ran their own roadside stand, and shoppers have more variety available. So yes, they ARE your best and most cost effective way of finding and buying bulk produce.



In my area, there are a good half-dozen farmers' markets scattered about the city. They're usually in parking lots, on different days of the week. One is on Tuesday evenings, and blocks off a downtown street. Most run from roughly March to November, based on the growing season. Some of the vendors are organic, some are not. Some vendors don't even have produce - the markets are good places for craftspeople to sell their wares as well. One place that I go to every week is so large that there are sections within it where vendors cluster.



Go to a farmers' market. You'll find greater variety, lower cost, and fresher produce than you would at a retail grocery store. Ask which vendors grow organically. Within a couple visits, you'll develop a list of your preferred vendors, you'll have a pretty good idea of what they carry week to week, and you can even plan ahead, since they'll often tell you what's coming into season.



Enjoy ;)

Steve (curmudgeonly old omnivore)

Answer 4

Farmers Markets aren't "organic." The people who bring their wares to the market may be certified organic. Getting certified organic is an expensive, long term procedure for small farmers. Their produce will be more expensive than that raised conventionally. And it's no healthier, nutritious or safer than the conventionally raised produce.



"Organic food gives no health benefits to consumers, according to research for the Food Standards Agency published today.



Shoppers pay more for organic fruit, vegetables, chicken, beef and milk but the food gives no nutritional enhancement to people’s diet.



The watchdog stopped short of advising consumers that buying organic produce was a waste of money but its message was clear: choosing to eat organic food will make no important difference to a person’s overall health. Eating a healthy balanced diet is the only important thing, the report concluded."



This is a British link, but the USDA in the US has issued similar statements. But, hey, it's your money.

Answer 5

Being qualified as an organic and organic farmer does value lots of money by way of fact of lots of sorting out and retesting on the product. i glance at it this way.. in the event that they're open and honest with you approximately their practices they dont look to have something to conceal then you definitely might desire to be stable, now in the event that they didnt desire to exhibit or they looked shady in any way then i might stay away.

Answer 6

not all farmers grow Organic,and the ones that do usually are not certified organic do to the cost of being certified. They really don't make that much money.

Answer 7

No they are not.