So I read this blog post last week, and something about it didn’t sit right with me.
Basically the author starts out by lamenting the state of small farms, whining about how hard it is, and then goes on to basically gripe at the reader, saying that we should show up to the farmers’ market rain or shine, plan our weeks/weekends around it, buy farm shares and the like with the aim of pickling and preserving it, eat all sorts of weird produce because that’s what the farmer grew, etc…
The article really put a bad taste in my mouth; if nothing else, because the woman who wrote it tried to put the onus of keeping small farmers in business on me for not wanting to go in the rain, or buy more than I need, or something like that. As if it’s an obligation on my part to eat garlic scapes in the rain or something.
It struck me that if that’s what she thinks needs to be done, she really doesn’t have a clue about running a business- you produce what will sell, sell it in a venue that is conducive to selling it, and price it appropriately. And on top of that, you have to add value somewhere, and in the farmer’s market case, you have to add more value than the supermarket in some fashion- by being organic, heirloom, extra fresh, whatever.
Am I wrong? Am I being too harsh? I know I shouldn’t feel quite so hostile toward people who are just trying to make a living, hopefully doing what they love, but at the same time, I don’t like being told that I have an obligation toward them either, when they’re ultimately just another provider of vegetables.