It's that wonderful time of year in Maryland when fresh vegetables and fruit from all over our state and region are being grown and harvested by farmers and sold to you at your local farmer's market ("Seasonal farmers' markets return to Druid Hill Park, Timonium and Govanstowne," May 29). The difference between what you get fresh from the farmer who grew it and what comes from hundreds or thousands or miles away is often astonishing and real. What isn't real are the so-called "farmers" who throw on a flannel shirt once a week and show up with boxes or coolers of produce that they purchased from a produce auction or wholesaler.
The important part for consumers is knowing the difference between the local farmer who works day and night to produce healthy, safe food for your family and the huckster makes a living working 40 hours a week in some other job and then purchases produce from a wholesaler or produce auction to sell as their own at your community farmers market. This distinction is often hard to discern without seeing the farm or having representatives of your farmers market see each farm for themselves. The truth is the consumer deception happens often, and I see it happen on a weekly basis at our farmers market.
If someone is willing to be dishonest and represent the products they are selling to consumers as something they produced despite the fact they aren't, then ask yourself how concerned are they about the safety and cleanliness of that product? After all, they are hucksters, not farmers, and this is just some extra money, not a way to make a living. You can be sure that if you buy your vegetables, fruit and other fresh farm products directly from the farmer who produced it, there is a strong chance these items are going to be safe and wholesome for your family. After all, our family farm and livelihood depends on it.
I watch consumers get fooled every week and hope you will take the time to ask your farmer if you can pay a visit to his or her farm, and if that doesn't work for you and your busy family, ask the market manager the last time they did an inspection of the farms selling at their market to see where and what they are producing. If farm inspections or visits haven't happened, you should demand action as the health of your family and our hardworking farmers depends on it.
Paul Sorenson, Union Bridge
The writer is owner of Gravel Springs Farms.