Farmers Market in Dallas Cleans Up Its Act

A farmers market in Dallas, Texas, has given the boot to vendors who sold furniture. Furniture at a farmers market? Yes, and it wasn’t even necessarily locally made. Some of it was imported from Mexico.

A majority of those who attached comments to a Dallas Morning News story about the change in policy favored the move. “Non-food items ruin farmers markets,” said one. “Thank goodness the farmer's market is finally returning to what it was supposed to be – a FARMER’S market,” said another. “The farmer's market is not a flea market,” proclaimed a commenter named HappyFarmer.

 

But a few complained. “I'm sorry to see the furniture and other specialty vendors go. Frankly, they made the Farmer's Market a much more interesting venue,” said one, apparently oblivious to the irony.

 

Another recent story in the Dallas Morning News made passing reference to a form of signage that could, if enforced, help consumers distinguish direct-marketed local produce from peddled merchandise that the vendor purchased from a middleman. “Local verified” signs at the market apparently can assure that the produce at least wasn’t imported from out of state. Whether it came from the farm of the person selling it is another matter.