Full version of my op-ed feedback...

Geography divides farmers
(July 2, 2007 Monday from Lexington Herald-Leader)

My first-ever op-ed submission to Lexington Herald-Leader was with full of learning, from the writing to editing to final publication. Thanks to my good friend Lauren's assistance, I managed to send fairly solid piece to the editorial board. The result as shown in link above, however, was quite shortened from my original piece (most notably title). Therefore, I am posting the full-length version of my submission for anyone interested. I doubt this will interfere copyrights, so here it goes...

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Accept and Support Diversity Beyond Binary Positions

The recent Herald-Leader article reported ongoing participation limits imposed on vendors selling at farmers markets in Lexington. The Lexington Farmers’ Market has a “non-compete” clause contract that partially prohibits vendors from participating in Fayette County’s other market, the Bluegrass Farmers’ Market. This requires an examination of its legality to confirm equity in participation and use of public space. While equality between two markets is essential, Ku’s article didn’t address the bottom-line questions: Why does Lexington have two farmers’ market organizations? Why were the market—and participating vendors—separated?

One crucial difference between two farmers’ markets is whether to define themselves as a “Producer-only” market. “Producer-only” market means only farmers who were directly responsible for food production are allowed sell products at the market. While this may sound obvious, we must think critically about this because it reflects what market offers and what consumers can purchase. Why do consumers insist on farmers’ markets to sell only “locally grown” products? What is wrong with peaches from Georgia? Would cantaloupes purchased at the produce auction be accepted as “local” if they were “grown in Kentucky”? Can consumers refrain from buying Florida-grown tomatoes and wait until Kentucky-grown tomatoes ripens?

At farmers’ markets, many customers ask vendors, “Did you grow this?” or “Where are these from?” Answers may vary, such as “yeah, homegrown in Clark County,” “Fairview, Kentucky,” or “out in Indiana.” Most customers expect products to be fresh, attractive, and “local.” This is why many farmers’ markets, including the Lexington Farmers’ Market, rule vendors to specify their farm location or origins of produce to respond customers’ inquiries. After working long hours on their farm, however, some producers feel uncomfortable about sharing market space with vendors whose products were brought in from elsewhere. Farmers who persist on selling their own products often advocate establishing “grower-only” market.

According to data from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, the number of farmers’ markets in Kentucky has more than doubled to well over 100 since 1995. As of 2006, Kentucky’s 55 farmers’ markets—including the Bluegrass Farmers’ Market—were “producer-only” markets. Such interest in locally produced food, also known as the “local food movement”, is a recent phenomenon that has emerged nationwide. In addition to increasing access to fresh quality products, this movement supports local producers and the whole community. Kentucky’s local food movement originated in the mid-to-late 1990s by leaders of the Commodity Growers Cooperative and has assisted diversifying many former tobacco farmers who lost substantial income from tobacco crops. Thanks to the work of state Agriculture Department, Kentucky has successfully promoted state-produced food products through “Kentucky Proud” program. There is no doubt that farmers’ markets in Lexington and throughout Kentucky are contributing immensely to the supply of quality food products, and consumers are supporting them through shopping at markets.

Nowadays, many farmers’ market vendors realize that their customers are concerned about the origins of produce. This is where geography matters to each market: products raised in Kentucky are accepted, but not from Tennessee; or products ‘grown’ in Jessamine County are accepted, but not those ‘purchased’ in Lincoln County. In many cases vendors’ membership rules and consumers’ requests shape market characteristics that determine who are present and what products are available. Thus, meanings of “local food” change in every market and will depend on us, because farmers’ markets are places where our interests on “local food” are negotiated and constructed. If we follow Wendell Berry’s inspiring proposition, “eating is an agricultural act,” we—both producers and consumers—must be actively involved in asking ourselves what kind of “local food” we want at farmers’ markets.

Herald-Leader article said that Councilman Don Blevins. Jr. offered a compromise that potentially allows two markets to re-integrate. This year some may miss Mr. Postley’s heirloom tomatoes, which will only be available at the Bluegrass Market. Others may appreciate the Tyler’s, who bring in carefully selected tasty peaches into the Lexington Market from South Carolina. Remember, many Kentucky producers have already suffered early spring frost this year and are trying hard to bounce back their sales. In the most recent issue of The Farmers’ Pride—Kentucky’s renowned farm paper, Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer wrote readers to “support your local farmers’ markets.” From Blue Moon Farm’s garlic to MWJ Produce’s vegetables, I support all Kentucky’s farmers’ markets and their vendors with hope for unity rather than “non-compete” separation.

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