The SCAM Some Farmers Don't Want You To Know

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

I think the best way forward, is to grow as much of our own produce as we can!

[@michaelcolors]

Requires investment of time, but can be healing on a lot of levels. There are many gardening books and YT videos on how to make raised beds. If you only have an apt, then check out the numerous videos on how to do indoor gardening (or on an apt porch, etc). Light and Blessings to all! ❤🏋‍♀

[@FlowerxLady]

My veggies rarely have any dirt on them, unless it’s a squash or melon. This is crazy. Plus tomatoes are high off the ground. 🍅

[@theinfinitemike1490]

Doesn't make sense to me either, my veggies are usually pretty clean also lol

[@dawahaddict]

For real why would there be dirt on tomatoes and cukes? I guess it’s to trick people who don’t know how things grow.

[@yeevita]

Same.

[@evasanmartini1123]

Mine are also clean and shiny! I have 4 inches of straw under my plants and dirt has never splashed on any of them! I suppose if you dont grow your own you may fall for this scam!

[@michaelcolors]

Ultimately, it doesn't matter about the amt of soil accumulation in any legit farming enterprise .. even home gardening. Only in the US are people so picky (spoiled). But most people in the US have sinks to wash their produce, so what the heck! In most places in the world, they do whatever it takes to put food on the table, never mind the fuss!!! ❤

[@donnas7312]

I was at a flea market once where people also sold produce. I saw a guy in the parking lot taking strawberries out of the plastic supermarket container and putting them in those green disposable berry baskets, so people thought they were homegrown. Amazes me the dishonesty in this world.

[@yvonneshaub6111]

I have a acre and a half I've been developing. The township told me i couldn't have a fruit stand . The people up the street have more land but buy over half their stuff is wholesale, and they get away with it and are allowed to have a stand

[@Betharoot]

I saw a similar act at a local market. I even asked if the produce was locally grown on their own farm. They looked me in the eye and said it was. Hmmm.

[@Mik-mk8us]

Most farmers never leave thier farms. It's all the peddlers. That are the front line resellers

[@clghidra]

Show me a farm stand that actually grows all of the twenty produce items they sell. But also show me a consumer that will go off their course to visit a farm stand selling five produce items. They have to supplement because consumers are naturally selfish. But lying is bad.

[@perkinshomestead]

Thank goodness we live in Amish country and I can see the acres of fields that they are growing all the crops in. I grow most of my own vegetables, but occasionally buy from them. Knowing that most of their crops come from their very large hard-working family, who are out in the fields 6 days a week, assures me that they grew it in the soil. Great video about this subject. Thank you for making everyone aware of this!

[@divinelotus19]

The Amish also do that. Not all, but they are not that innocent.

[@JAMAICAN876]

The farmer up the road from me sells his stuff on his own farm, and its way cheaper than getting it at a supermarket or the farmer's market. Good honest guy, will even give tips on how to grow produce yourself.

[@Jbeau680]

Rather than call the clay washers Farmers call them con artists. Glad you clarified it towards the end of the video 👍🏻

[@beccafichtner5305]

I worked with a guy whose family ran a couple "roadside" stands selling produce in the summer. They absolutely had a farm and grew produce, but he told me that more than half of the produce was purchased through wholesalers. Big tip off was the very early melons. They also sold their produce to local grocery stores - so basically you could get the same thing in the store for significantly lower price.

[@robm328]

Yes, know your farmer! Two friends in my area take great pride in how clean their produce is. They have developed best practices for different cleaning different vegetables. They both have farms that they are proud to tell you about and both want their customers to get to know what they do. One is a CSA operation, customers pick up at the farm. Customers pick the allotment from bins os items and also are allowed to go out and pick their container of some things. The other has a great farm stand and a big presence at farm markets.

[@pamgorton4544]

Yeah, I was bamboozled. I stopped at a produce stand that had a bunch of peaches. Bought two bags and found those coded stickers on it!

[@JohnSmith-zt7qo]

I bought some "fresh honey" one time at a stand and it still never Crystallized. Probably costco brand put into glass jars

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

Stickers are a dead giveaway😂.

[@mathgasm8484]

@@JohnSmith-zt7qo Then legit honey producer like me some old lady will say my honey is more expensive. at least my stuff is real.

[@ivahihopeful]

Unbelievable. This world has gone nuts on so many levels.

[@lisamorris4232]

Our organic farmers wash their produce before market to make them pretty. In contrast, there are some with actual stickers on the produce and are middle men. The farmers market in GR on Fulton st. supposedly are cracking down on this violation of their policies, but it still continues. Luke, you are so right and on target. GET TO KNOW YOUR FARMERS!!! Thanks so much for looking out for us.

[@wildgingerliving]

I did not know this was a thing!!!! Thank you! I have a small market garden, and need to spread the word about this to my customers.

[@wildgingerliving]

I agree. I come from a family of farmers and have been doing this since I was a kid. We always at least gave it a light field wash. You did not (and still do not) put out dirty produce because it won't sell. The idea that dirt=organic is a completely new one on me. @@WhosWhointheZoo123

[@lidip8700]

Luke's not trashing farmers, he works with many fir his business. He's simply making us aware of a scam that, that obviously we do not want to support. There's bad actors in everything, and the best way to stop them is, as Luke suggests, get to know who you're buying from. Honest farmers will enjoy that interaction. I come from generations of farmers, we wouldn't be offended at all. We'd welcome public's interest in our produce.

[@wildgingerliving]

I did not think Luke was trashing farmers at all. That was not how I took that comment at all. I thought it meant the "bad eggs" were trashing the good farmers, making us all look bad to the consumer. I agree, good farmers enjoy getting to know their customers and letting their customers get to know them. It is about building communiites and relationships. My small market garden plot is right along a major highway by a local tourist location, which I think is cool. It keeps me on my toes keeping things looking good as well as productive. This is the best life.@@lidip8700

[@renebrown995]

Yes, do spread the word. It is so wrong. There is a video, I watched a long time ago about this subject. Maybe it is still on KZbin.

[@juliemarr65]

What evil lengths people will deceptively do for $😒 Thank you for sharing and exposing this.

[@eyeYQ2]

Yes! It's the root of all evil!

[@danarzechula3769]

Can't serve God and money

[@karensterling5246]

There was a documentary on yt talking about a similar matter. It showed people buying foods at wholesalers and then removing the stickers and up selling them as organic produce at farmers markets. Then they showed a better run system in California where the farmers have to register their farms and anything they sell have to be produced on their farm. The inspectors will physically go to their location and if they don’t see the product being grown on site then they can be fined. We can’t trust anyone these days when it comes to truly organic foods. TFS

[@dadgadify]

I did surveying work in California, especially in Gilroy- the garlic capital of the world, and saw inspectors in organic fields all the time. They even inspected us. I just assumed every organic field in the country was inspected that way.

[@dustman96]

Scamming, overcharging and misrepresentation is becoming the norm in our country, and probably everywhere else in the world they can get away with it. This is what happens when a society values money over integrity.

[@catladycatlady7359]

Sad but true

[@LilyAmongThorns]

About 40 years ago I worked in a health food store in California. Their produce buyer bought seconds (stuff that was over ripe or had imperfections) that were cheaper at the wholesale markets and then sold it as organically grown to our store. He eventually got caught but who knows how often these things happen. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@danarzechula3769]

You just described the lack of Christian values.

[@5points7019]

I picked peppers last night and the only ones that were dirty and had insect damage which made them compost fodder were the couple that were touching the ground. The rest look beautiful, and the plants are loaded with mini peppers waiting to change color. Ive not seen this locally, i was walking thru the farmers market saturday, and the few actually selling produce had nice clean product

[@dfreak01]

I've heard of them buying wholesale to sell local but not this🤬

[@muhamadthemotorcityfarmer6016]

Shame. We used to be a nation of makers and doers, but now we're no longer using ingenuity to produce a better product and services, we're becoming a nation of deceivers.

[@danarzechula3769]

It starts at the top

[@rositasultana3958]

I buy only from producers whose hands are tanned and have calluses on their hands, mine are the same while I work in my terrace garden ❤

[@elizabethann158]

This is such an issue in my area. So frustrating seeing people being scammed.

[@Ashas.Garden]

I didn’t even know this was a thing.

[@Jhawk376]

It’s a big thing in my area too. The farmers market actually started doing inspections of the farms to be able to sell at the farmers market. It’s helped a lot. Now all the scammers who don’t even have a farm and just buy produce at the local distribution centers have been relegated to the side of the road. Still funny when someone thinks they are getting fresh farmer produce that has a dole sticker and barcode from the side of the road lol

[@sandrawallace1001]

Well, good grief. None of this would ever have occurred to me. I suggest another way to test cucumbers is to check for those little "thorns" along the length of the fruit. I've never grown a cucumber that didn't have prickles that needed to be washed off - and it takes a little effort to remove them. If I picked up a dirty cucumber that had no prickles, I'd be suspicious.

[@catofthecastle1681]

I grow 3 different varieties and two of them don’t have them!

[@tammibolender3785]

At the farmer's market I went to yesterday all of the produce was clean, some you could tell they hosed it off. Some say where it was grown. If you really want to know ask them what variety it is. Most can tell you what variety (especially tomatoes and cucumbers) and if it is Heirloom or hybrid. Some will also have seconds (imperfect, close to over ripe, etc.) for sale at bulk prices.

[@Vora_Vixen]

Oh thats such a good idea! Scammers wont know the variety they buy at the store, they might try and make up something so good to look it up too.

[@rosemarystanley1363]

Yes- this is so true. We live near DC, and so many “farmers markets” are just box trucks of wholesale fruit. So few real local farmers. And the genuine sellers often “round out” their homegrown produce tables with wholesale fruits and veg they don’t grow.

[@Annastasia666]

Here in Jersey, the Farmers Market farmers ALL have big huge backdrop signs with their farm name, location and usually now many years they've been farming. I have never, ever heard of this "practice" and it would NOT go over well in our state, lol. As one can imagine, we take our farming and gardening extremely serious here in the Garden State 💯

[@garymason7517]

Absolutely true. I buy my produce right from the dairy farm behind my house in Sussex county. Family owned and operated.

[@Annastasia666]

@@garymason7517 Love it!! And that Sussex county farm name is......? LOL I am always up for a drive to find a farm. Care to share? I'm in Morris County...

[@ziptiefighter]

I hadn't heard the term or the technique. One other clue is if certain produce is available suspiciously early in the season for your region.

[@MIgardener]

Great point!

[@emylytle7149]

So when they weigh the produce it will weigh more and you pay more 😮 🤦🏻‍♀️ that’s why I wipe them or shake them if it’s leaves. I bring wipes and wipe them off. Even when I go to grocery stores they wet their produce, so I wipe them with paper towels. Thanks Luke and take care 👍🙏🏻👩‍🌾

[@ButterflyJourneyDesigns]

The last time I went to a farmers market I noticed that the majority of the tables had the same produce boxes under their tables. Obviously came from the same wholesaler. Some were smart enough to cover their tables but I was nosy and lifted the skirt and looked anyway.

[@robingirven4570]

I’m going to share Luke! This is nuts!! I’m so lucky to be able to grow my own but for those who cannot….how wrong.

[@bettylarks8134]

Wow! I don't usually go to my local market for 2 reasons, One of them is the exact reason you are talking about as well as the high prices. That's why I grow my own.

[@lidip8700]

Thanks for the "heads up," because #4 Is just being aware of this scam, and you have provided it! We have a lot of raised beds & a large garden, so as we're blessed with veggies, we often set out baskets of FREE organic produce on the corner of a 2-way Stop near our garden. I love sharing the blessing we have been given. This week I'm heading to a farmers market to buy local honey for my garlic & honey jars (a great cold/flu medication), so I'm gonna have a look around at what the produce looks like. -> Luke, a lot of folks are attempting to grow fruit trees, we're looking into lemon, apple & peaches. Videos on this subject would be AWESOME!!!! Thanks again MiGardener for another informative video!

[@valtoton2982]

Yes, I'd love to learn more about fruit trees! Apples and lemons would be amazing!

[@nonnapapera3044]

I don't know how's your climate and what kind of fruit trees you can grow there, but please DO that. I love fruit trees so much that I packed every tiny spot around my house with something that produces fruit. There my n.1 advice, regardless of the zone: prefer local varieties and try to plant trees that give fruits in different period of the year, so you will feel the joy of picking your own fruit for a longer period every year. Besides, if a problem occurs, like hail or strong wind or an heatwave, it will not destroy all the flowers, cause every tree is flowering at different times. English is not my language, I really hope I expressed my thoughts clearly. Go for it and do that as soon as possible, cause a fruit tree requires a bit of time to start giving you its magic. Blessing and a big hug from Italy to every grower ❤

[@georgicarter4520]

I think also looking at how picture perfect the veg are. If the whole bin of peppers looks like a magazine picture, probably not from a farm. I'm not a good gardener, so maybe thats why my veg doesn't all look the same, and I have some "ugly" ones. But I feel like in nature a bit of size and shape variation is normal occurrence. Anyone have thoughts on this? My experience is limited to small home gardens so I'd appreciate input.

[@WhatWeDoChannel]

I think you are right! I’m harvesting lots of tomatoes and cucumbers right now and they are all different sizes, even with the hybrid seed I grow! Another way to spot these scammers is if they are selling produce way out of season for your area!

[@georgicarter4520]

@@WhatWeDoChannel thank you! Good point about out of season fruit and veg. I'd add produce not native to the area. For example, I haven't heard of an orange orchard in Tennessee so if I spot some at a farmers' market, they're likely brought from Florida.

[@dustman96]

I don't think I've ever grown 2 peppers that look exactly the same.

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

Ugly ones are more likely to be the real deal.

[@erikahuxley]

You should be able to ask the farmer what variety or cultivar of the tomato or pepper you are buying and if they grow it themselves they would know.

[@renebrown995]

Thanks, Luke. Yes, people need to be aware of so much wrong doing going on.

[@lauriemclean1131]

This one sounds pretty odd to me. Maybe that kind of scam hasn't gotten to my area of the country yet. The market manager at the farmers market where I sell would chew the ears off anyone selling dirty produce whether the price is high or low. I can't imagine anyone paying extra for dirty produce. 😂

[@cyhomer]

..but maybe the manager has no clue…🤔

[@lazygardens]

The BIG sellers at the local county market are Hutterites and their veggies are CLEAN! Even the carrots and beets are washed. This clay-washing would only fool people who don't realize that vegetables don't have to be dirty.

[@nikkireigns]

I have a farm stand on my farm and I try to keep my produce looking clean 😂 Guess that’s not necessary. What I do struggle with is pricing things. I based off local food, but my stand is out of the way a bit and I’m trying to get repeat customers

[@kele1264]

Thank you very much for spreading the word, Luke!

[@justpyrite591]

My farmer's market is small offering little choice. I went yesterday to get lettuce, because I'm temporarily out in my garden. They were selling garlic for $3 per bulb! Insane, and they sell stuff from out of state. And they were clearly selling tomatoes that were refrigerated. They are there to scam people who don't drive and have food stamps.

[@morningwoodfarms713]

WHAT?!😦 Oh my gracious!😑 Thanks SO much for your honesty and knowledge, Luke. 🙌💡🏆💓

[@Nikki-mx5my]

I’ve noticed that some farmers at the markets are growing their own produce and supplementing with wholesale stuff to up profits. One stand had apples...around the Fourth of July. 😒 It’s a dead giveaway when they have a wide selection of produce not in season. I’ve developed some relationships with great farmers though and tend to keep buying from the same folks.

[@maxiemills6982]

The lengths people will go to cheat others is amazing. Thanks for the tip Luke.

[@deecooper1567]

Wow 😮 that’s crazy 🤨. I know times are tight but this is stealing ‼️. Thank you for bringing this to our attention 👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

[@debbiesears1282]

We were driving through st Clair and finally know where your place is,my hubby noticed it and he said “is that where your friends place is?”,lol I said oh yeah that’s his building,although I haven’t met you in person.thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge ❤

[@sher-at-home]

I saw a documentary, right here on YT, about the farmer's market scams. Cameras showed sellers removing stickers from the produce they bought wholesale which they then sold as farm fresh-- I vowed right then and there never to buy from a farmer's market-- I can grow my own.

[@kendranicholson1473]

this is not a reason not to go to market, it's a reason to know who you're buying from

[@wrinklesandsprinkles]

I’m nearly positive this is happening at the Minneapolis Farmers Market! I became concerned when I saw overly clean tents/stalls/tables! There’s no dirt, leaves, stems & other plant matter anywhere in sight & the seller’s in dress clothes.

[@wrinklesandsprinkles]

@@dustyflats3832 It’s really sad. It’s hard to find honest people nowadays!

[@sportsfamily77]

Went out to your store for the first time today. It was a beautiful day for a motorcycle ride, the cherry on top was the 50% off the seed selection in the store. Got some veggies for next season!

[@TheSimArchitect]

Wow! That's awful. Thanks for making people aware.

[@PrettyAliceNight]

I’ve heard of people buying wholesale produce and selling it claiming they grew it themselves but haven’t heard of them then making them dirty. That’s so weird.

[@donnettehenderson2447]

Farmers Market managers are supposed to inspect the farms to make sure farmers are actually growing what they say they are.

[@aliceisonyoutube]

This probably depends a lot on where you live. Where I live there is no such requirement. You can usually tell which are the resellers because they have a much wider variety of produce on sale and things that aren’t in season in our area but might be further north or south. That said, my local market garden stall which is located at the farm gate, so I can see the growing beds, also buys produce in from other growers so they can offer a wider selection. They do sign the produce accordingly.

[@bleepbloop101010101]

They could also grow the same produce as they sell, but buy wholesale for additional stock. If the farmer's market actually checks they'd see strawberries growing in the field even though 75% of the strawberries they sell are from other farms.

[@brandysears3546]

Sending support, love, and kindness from Lexington, Michigan, USA

[@collinsddc1206]

Oh my gosh, this is soooooo wrong, thank you for letting us know about these evil actions from evil people😡

[@earthisflat]

Had no idea some people were doing that, thanks for the heads up Luke , really good info for someone who wants to get into selling produce

[@beverlyr8152]

Wow, I've not heard of this before. Sad.

[@ourgeorgiasuburbanhomestea6309]

we mulch so much around our plants they are actually pretty clean when we pick the produce.

[@nancyspruiell347]

my farmer's produce is beautiful...rarely with dirt. Same with my homegrown stuff. I know my farmer and he takes his young kids every week to his family's 10 acre small farm. He and the kids pick our produce for our weekly crates the day b4 i pick it up. This is to supplement what I grow myself :).

[@juliekovach9784]

I had absolutely no idea. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that there are crooks and con artists everywhere. Thanks for the information.

[@annduke5573]

WOW! Thanks Luke. Never thought this was a "thing."

[@Pomp67]

Thanks Luke ! You are a great educator. Grifting runs all gamuts.

[@shocker1215]

Try asking what type of tomatoes or whatever produce you’re buying. If you don’t know the name they tell you or what it’s supposed to look like you can always google that type to compare the picture. A farmer will know the names of the varieties of the different produce he grows.

[@creekbird_homestead]

I was selling at the farmer’s market and Mom came by. She sat with my booth and I walked around for a minute. My prices were soooo much lower than everyone else’s. I’m talking my eggs were $4 a dozen and others had them for $6.

[@thedhz]

It's a case of inferred value. People will buy the more expensive eggs because, if they a higher price, they must be better.

[@lisascott9670]

Thanks Luke

[@darlenewright5850]

Bought gorgeous tomatoes in MS, asked the man where they came from. Truth! He said Birmingham, AL.

[@GlitzyWitch]

Wow, thats so bad!!! Thank you for letting us know ❤

[@ttorres2586]

At the markets I am in, the market manager does farm inspections to make sure the grower is growing the produce they are selling. There have been people who are told not to bring in a product or not come back. They make everybody else look bad, because people share the bad, not the good.

[@nanalonajean]

Proud to say our farm vendors do not do this! When I harvest and donate, I don't have a processing station so I tell them I grow naturally (without chemicals) but I didn't clean them before making my donations to food pantries. And my non-profit production is free donations! Yeah!

[@jabolbot9371]

Thank you. Had no idea people would try to do that.

[@crystalpatten7413]

Oh my goodness people will do anything to gain more money Oh lordie.... thank goodness I can grow what I eat... I would ask where the farm is and can we see it and see where the produce is grown at. Shop at the farms!! People are so evil all about money and greed.... thanks MI Gardner much appreciated

[@MissouriCrookedBarnHomestead]

There are a lot of Amish and Mennonite places doing this and other practices with produce they didn't grow. They also re-bag products into smaller bags and usually charge more for it, but the reality is, you're just purchasing things that were in regular grocery stores. If you just pay attention to what is going on in the stores, you'll sometimes see it going on right in front of you. Most people do not even know what to look for. This type of thing also happens a lot at produce stands here and there throughout the US. There are peach stands that will say they are from SC or Palisade peaches and they're just purchasing peaches from big production food trucks or even just from a grocery store in boxes, then putting a sign on it and upcharging.

[@yvonneshaub6111]

Yet the amish and Mennonite are supposed to be so hunmble..the younger ones will deal drugs more than people think..

[@heysuz701]

Big red flag for me at farmers markets is if they have out of season produce or things that don’t grow where the market is. I’ve also asked about variety and received blank stares or dismissive responses.

[@cyhomer]

This may not be the EXACT same thing, but in early summer we have several fruit stands in our area that get tomatoes, etc from down south to sell early.

[@kevinmiller5467]

There is actually a lot of lead in average healthy soil. It's still safe to grow in because plants don't uptake the lead but you need to wash the soil off your produce to avoid the lead.

[@samanthahoos9827]

I feel like I went somewhere that was selling dirty produce and thought ‘mine don’t come off the plant that dirty’.

[@erikahuxley]

Well first it's always best to grow your own. Mulch your soil surface so don't have soil splash on your vegetables, and besides the soil splash can bring diseases so you want to reduce it.

[@bricksbeersbeards9368]

unreal the things people do...we call some of these questionable stands as 'charity market'...15-20$ watermelon, 1$ ea corn...come on...I agree, most real producers aren't going to have the time to dirt-wash their produce.

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

Look at the boxes, containers around the booth. I have grown produce so know the difference between home grown and store or commercial produce.

[@pinschrunner]

Deceit is despicable

[@louellenhackel9310]

I have suspected this over the years and stopped going to the local farmers market when they pause too long and won’t say where “their farm is located “

[@mickybearden9641]

OH MY STARS!!! That seals for me how I wanna grow Everything I can "myself".....GRRRRR!!!

[@LivingMiracleHomestead]

The deceit in the world is crazy.

[@ctg22333]

Thanks! Knowing farmers matters!!

[@minivandreamin1789]

I wouldn’t buy them if they looked dirty. My veggies in my garden are not dirty. I use straw mulch and it helps prevent dirt splash.

[@alinapatricia8639]

Thanks for this info. I had my suspicions when I recently visited a market with several sellers.

[@1polynation169]

had NO idea!! thanks for this ! stay bright

[@TinaHarris]

Wow! 😮 The lengths that people will go to. Shame. Thanks for the video awareness. I hadn't heard of this.

[@ravendragonsong5842]

I grow most of my own vegetables but I go to a nursery/market that I actually am friends with the owners and staff and they would never do something like this

[@JudiintheKitchen]

WOW! Thanks for enlightening us, Luke :)

[@cynthiaapplegate8360]

I now live in Amish country in Michigan and you really do need to speak with the people that you are purchasing from. It's normal to assume that produce from an Amish stand is going to be homegrown, but I have an asking and several have told me, 'No, we buy all this wholesale,' One particular Amish vendor sells at both a weekly market and they have a stand by the road at their house And there are ones that told me it was wholesale. (They grow one or two crops).Obviously not all the Amish do this -- I also know Amish that grow their own. So please talk to the vendors/farmers!

[@369love17]

That’s crazy, the farmers market in Davison is completely up selling produce they purchased from a grocery store. It’s ridiculous, I stopped going there, growing own food, and if I need to I am buying from the grocery store.

[@Nik.No.K]

Wow that’s good to know. I’m in flint and I love the farmers market here but I never knew about any of this until now. Never been to the one in Davison but the flint farmers market has a lot of cool stuff. I’ll have to take a closer look the next time I go

[@369love17]

@@Nik.No.K Yes, I like the Flint Market as well. I directly ask them (in Davison) did you grow your own produce, everyone so far has told me no. I would at least ask the question and hopefully they’re truthful.

[@Nik.No.K]

@@369love17 yeah I need to do that

[@da1stamericus]

Get to know your farmer. 💯, we go to their actual farm and buy on their land. We get to walk around and see whats in season. They also let you know whome they do get their produce from around them. Best way to eat locally.

[@phackdaphish]

I hate seeing stands at farmer's markets and it is obvious those vegetables/fruits were bought at wholesale. My best bet that the farm stand is legitimate is if they have a big sign with a name and location. Also, will have produce in season.

[@KoniB.]

So sad. 😑 Makes me really sad that people, not Farmers, crooked people are doing this. How far we have sunk. What a new low.

[@The_Duck_Pond]

LoL … just said the very same thing about the Birmingham MI farmers market. Over 25% markup and the variety clearly indicate they are NOT growing plums to tomato’s. Unfortunately the MI spring was so late my own garden is just now producing.

[@MadameM.]

This is ridiculous - if I see something dirty I’m LESS likely to buy it! Shame folks fall for this.

[@dalegaa4094]

I'd never heard of this before. Thanks for the info.

[@annhanel3661]

Thank you Luke for sharing this. I didn’t know. I’ll talk to the farmer.

[@Handmaidenofyeshua]

Your garden is still producing!!! This time of year and especially in this 110 degree temps, we are fried in the Deep South of NE Louisiana. Thank you for all your grrreat advice❣️

[@Nik.No.K]

This is one of the best times of year in Michigan. Just 75 degrees and sunny all September

[@Handmaidenofyeshua]

@@Nik.No.K My heart grieves, but ever so glad for ya’ll. 💕

[@JNoMooreNumbers]

But we start later too.

[@dorkfish6663]

I have unfortunately known about this for 10 years. I stopped going to markets and just started going to small family road side stands instead. At least the years I didn't grow my own!

[@rebeccagammel656]

That is amazing. I had no idea. I'll keep my eyes open. Thanks for the heads up.

[@pondholloworchards]

Never even heard of this

[@violettraine1029]

Wow! I never new this even existed!!!! This is crazy & just more to stress over & worry about😔 I already worry that we’re getting duped that organic isn’t truly organic most the time & now we need to look out for this……. Ugh Luke do u know of any pesticide/chemical free farms in Oakland Township Michigan area u trust?

[@fiveacregardener4789]

Lapeer county too!

[@cathydavis9259]

In Chicago, a few years ago, we went to a farmers market. An older guy was selling produce in early May. I questioned him on how early it was for fresh produce “ did you grow these? Are they organic? Why is there a grocery store bar code sticker? With a red face he just mumbled and looked the other way. It was very expensive. My brother’s on the west coast and decided to sell at a farmers market. It took about 1 1/2 years to become certified organic. They go out to his farm a few times a year to test soil, produce, water etc. To sell organic at the farmers market he has to display the organic certification at all times. Don’t be afraid to ask for their license to sell organic.

[@camicri4263]

Honestly, what would they think of next! Thanks Luke ❤🤗 so sad, but that was always the case.