Food for Thought Farmers markets are places where consumers purchase fresh, locally grown produce directly from the farmers. The number of farmers markets in the United States has grown a whopping 250% since 1994. The increasing prevalence of local farmers markets is an important step towards a much needed transformation of our country’s food system. There are numerous environmental, economic, nutritional, and ethical benefits to supporting local farmers markets as opposed to major corporations and supermarkets. There are copious environmental advantages of supporting local farmers markets as opposed to large industries. Farmers markets provide locally grown produce, reducing the resulting amount of “food miles”, or travel distance. Statistics show that produce from supermarkets, on the other hand, travel an average of 1,300 miles before reaching the shelves. “Only about 10% of the fossil fuel energy used in the world’s food system is used for production. The other 90% goes toward packaging, transporting, and marketing of the food” (Norberg-Hodge). The smaller travel distance for produce from farmers markets greatly reduces carbon dioxide emissions, contributing towards a healthier environment. Farmers markets have also been proven to produce less waste than their supermarket competitors. “Farmers in the USA report that an average of 22% of their crop could not be marketed if farmers markets were not available…There is less wastage because good food is not discarded because it doesn’t fit supermarkets’ packaging requirements, or because the supermarket changes its order at the last minute” (Friends of the Earth). In addition to environmental benefits, farmers markets provide large economic opportunities and advantages for both farmers and consumers. First off, farmers receive more money from farmers markets because they cut out the “middle man” – retailers, wholesalers, and transporters who all receive a cut of the earnings in large industries. Farmers markets allow money to circulate locally and provide a large number of jobs to local citizens, rendering them a great economic opportunity for every community. “A dollar spent locally usually generates twice as much income for the local economy” (DeLong). Supermarkets, on the other hand, result in a loss of jobs for the local community. “The National Retail Planning Forum found that there was a net loss of 270 jobs on average each time a superstore opens. A trend towards farmers markets, strengthening local links, can be expected to have net job gains” (Friends of the Earth). Locally grown produce from farmers markets provide a wide range of nutritional benefits to the consumer. Primarily, the customer is much more able to find out where their food came from and how it was harvested, which is very important, and often hard to discover about produce from farmers markets. Secondly, large industries often harvest fruits and vegetables long before they are ripe, and then proceed to gas them to make them ripe prior to putting them on the shelves. This process alters both the taste and nutritional value of the food! “Once produce is picked, the vitamins, minerals, and fibers start to break down naturally. Supermarkets take an average of two weeks before their produce ends up on the shelves, so the nutrient loss is significant” (Norberg-Hodge). Produce from farmers markets have been given ample time to ripen and develop prior to harvesting, and therefore contain a higher level of vitamins and minerals and great nutritional value. “These farmers markets are bringing Americans healthy food so we can be a healthy nation, instead of the undernourished and obese kids and adults that President Obama worries so much about us becoming” (Ayers). In addition to being more nutritious, produce from farmers markets have been proven to taste better, too! “At least six taste test studies cited by Hughes and Mattson have shown that consumers typically prefer produce sold at farmers’ markets to that from other sources. Consumers cite freshness, taste, appearance, and nutritive value as reasons for preferring farmers market produce” (Friends of the Earth). Many customers of supermarkets and large industries claim that buying food from farmers markets is “just too expensive.” However, research shows that this is simply a widely held misconception. Bard College graduate student Jake Robert Claro produced a study for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont to put this myth to the test. He and his team compared the prices of food items from ten different farmers markets against those from large-scale supermarkets, and came to a surprising conclusion. “The findings of this study have shown that prices at farmers markets are in many cases competitive with prices at grocery stores” (Estabrook). The majority of produce from farmers markets was actually 10 to 20 percent cheaper than those from supermarkets, with the exception of cantaloupe, cucumbers, lettuce, and peas (which were cheaper at the supermarkets). Incredibly, eggs were 43% cheaper at farmers markets, and potatoes were 58% cheaper than those from supermarkets! In a similar study conducted by SCALE, Inc., farmers markets in the states of Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and South Carolina were investigated. “In 74% of the states examined, produce was actually less expensive at farmers markets than supermarkets, on average by 22%. In 88% of the areas surveyed, organic produce was less expensive at farmers markets than supermarkets on average by 16%. The overall conclusion was that farmers markets were the same or less expensive than supermarkets 74% of the time” (Norberg-Hodge). Despite the fact that farmers markets have been proven to be on average less expensive than major supermarkets, some families maintain the belief that such fresh food still doesn’t stand within their budget. However, over half of the farmers markets in the United States accept food stamps! Similarly, the Seniors Farmers Market Nutrition Pilot Program was established to make fresh food from farmers markets more available to low income or unemployed senior citizens. The program distributes coupons to be used at local farmers markets and roadside stands to senior citizens meeting the requirement. The fact of the matter is that the view of farmers markets as elitist, expensive establishments is an extremely easily disproved myth. Supporters of large industries and supermarkets also argue that farmers markets have a limited supply, restricted by what is in season. However, it has been scientifically proven that produce that is in season has greater health benefits. It is common sense that the presence of produce that is not currently in season in supermarkets means that the produce has either been chemically or genetically altered or has traveled a long way to get to the shelf. Last but certainly not least, there are enormous ethical benefits to supporting local farmers markets and avoiding industries and corporations whenever possible. “The system of agricultural production our society has created is designed to shield major corporations from any legal responsibility for their actions or inactions. The layers of subcontracting built into American agriculture are designed to shift responsibility downward from the largest firms to the smallest” (Rodriguez). Major corporations in the food business implement practices of slave labor to maintain low prices. Workers are harshly underpaid, overworked, and ignored basic human rights. Such large corporations prey on the vulnerability of their farmers, particularly those from foreign countries whose desire for work and unfamiliarity with our legal system render them easy targets. These farmers are denied health insurance, breaks, sick days, vacation days, job security, and basic human rights. “Drinking water and sanitary conditions – basic rights most American workers take for granted – are denied to farmworkers [for large corporations] on a daily basis” (Rodriguez 603). Farmers for large corporations in the food industry such as Wal-Mart are in great need for stricter protection under the law and monitoring of salaries and working conditions. The government’s failure to successfully control the situation places the burden in our hands. Something desperately needs to be done to change this process. Supporting such monster corporations reinforces this disgusting practice of modern day slave labor and human rights abuses all too present in our country’s food industry. It is our duty as human beings to take steps to put an end to such injustices, and we can do so by supporting local farmers markets whenever possible. In conclusion, farmers markets provide a variety of benefits, ranging from economic, environmental, nutritional, and ethical spheres. The power to better our health, local economy, environment, and the lives of millions of underpaid farmers rests in our hands, and the means to do so is simple: buy produce from local farmers markets.

Works Cited
Ayers, Jane. "300,000 Organic Farmers Sue Monsanto in Federal Court." Nation of Change. 15 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Mar. 2012.
DeLong, Katie. "Eat Local Challenge: Can You Do It?" Today's TMJ4. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012.
Estabrook, Barry. "The Farmers' Market Myth." The Atlantic. 10 May 2011. Web. 8 Mar. 2012.
Friends of the Earth. "The Economic Benefits of Farmers' Markets." Friends of the Earth Newsmagazine 2000. EBSCO. Web. 15 Mar. 2012.
Norberg-Hodge, Helena. "Thinking Globally, Eating Locally." Totnes Transition Town Guide 56 (2007). Web.
Rodriguez, Arturo. Cheap Food: Workers Pay the Price. Elements of Argument: A Text and Reader.Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 601-18. Print.
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