We want them to be everywhere, to be overflowing with the bounty of the fields. But as the Memphis area, like many other communities across the country, increases the number of farmer's markets, the question beckons: how many are supportable? First there was the Agricenter, then last year the new downtown market, and this year we've added two more with the Arlington Open Air Market and now the Market at the Garden. The question, then, is have the number of farmers grown? Is there more produce available?
This weekend in the Boston Globe an article by Megan Woolhouse begged that very question. She points out that given the "trendiness" of farmer's markets based on books like Omnivore's Dilemma and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, cities with previously existing markets are starting to see challenges with serving all the increased demand.
"It's kind of trendy to have a farmers' market," said organic farmer Tim Winship, who has declined numerous offers to sell his produce at farmers' markets across New England. Winship said he spends most of his time farming six acres in Templeton, N.H. He brings his produce to Newton's farmers' market on Tuesdays only because he's been coming to the market for two decades and knows he'll probably sell whatever he puts out.
The city of Marlborough wanted to hop on the trend. Once known for its orchards and rolling farms, the city remains home to several local growers. Last year, city officials tried to revive the tradition of having a farmers' market. A local development group called Marlborough 2010 advertised it in newspapers and found a prime location for the market in an airy, newly renovated fire station in the city's downtown.
Two farmers showed up.
At the same time, there aren't new farmers popping up to meet this demand. According to an AP article posted at a Phoenix TV site, markets are actively soliciting backyard gardeners to close the gap:
Some market organizers try to maintain the traditional, produce-only version of a farmers market, but it's a constant struggle, said Manish Shah, who has run the farmers market at St. Philip's Plaza for the past five years and at Oro Valley Town Hall for about four years.
"There is a shortage of growers, no doubt about it," Shah said.
But he doesn't supplement the markets with art to make up the difference, he said.
"We have no crafts, we have no services, so nobody's reading tarot cards. Nobody's doing massages," he said.
In desperation for more produce, however, he is actively seeking backyard growers, he said.
That includes folks who have grapefruit or fig trees in their yards that produce more than the household residents can consume, he said.
"There's so much of it. Let's not let it go to waste," he said.
The broader question, of course, is whether or not subsidy-supported big Ag farms are converting in the wake of this local foods popularity, and the answer, at least viewed from the midwest this cool Monday morning, is probably not. Given the demand for corn to feed the ethanol boom, from where I stand it looks like there's no imminent likelihood of a shift local to a community market-based production.
[Thanks to Emaleth72 for the photo]
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