Encino Farmers Market

Encino Farmers Market on Victory Blvd seems to be doing well these days. Many locals do all their vege/fruit shopping there every Sunday morning. Some insist on buying certified-organic and pesticide-free; some like supporting local farmers and not corporate agri-business and some simply enjoy the sampling and people-watching. Prices are reasonable.

While it’s nothing much like European farmers markets because you have to drive there and it lacks a community flavor, it is still a fun experience. The parking lot is large, even if getting in can be a pain when it’s busy. I wish we could have one at Genesta Park or Newcastle/Ventura but this one is adjacent to its owners, ONEgeneration, a non-profit adult/child daycare provider (website here). Santa Monica has four!

A question though: if there are real concerns these days about our food supply, what are the regulations for farmers markets? After all, supermarkets are so much more expensive because of regulations.

Farmers markets actually have very few food safety regulations in the California Retail Food Code (here – pdf, see chapter 12). Much of it is devoted to eggs and there are no specific requirements for fruits and vegetables, which is what most people buy. However, the margin for these farmers is very narrow and to burden them with stricter regulations might drive them out of business. It is a real juggling act to ensure that community farmers markets flourish, along with roadside stands, ranch, farm and home-based sales, while ensuring biological pathogens do not enter the food chain. One scare could undo everything.

Update October 2010: the California Dept of Food & Agriculture is now holding listening sessions around the state to ask for public comment about its Certified Farmers Market Program - this is good news if it means crackdowns on fraudulent sellers. Their website here.

How then should lawmakers approach these issues? The following letter from a Vermont organic winemaker speaks to the key points: “Do the lawmakers really understand the different circumstances of large, medium and small food processors? Do they distinguish between industrial, on-farm, and home-in-kitchen producers? Do they know what different procedures can be used to secure food safety? How do you write the regulations? What agendas will the regulatory agencies have? And the actual inspectors – each of them will differ in their competency, personality, and whether they are real sticklers or allow some reasonable slack in enforcement?” The letter appeared here.