Farmers markets are a big hit in many parts of the country, and Illinois is no exception. The state’s number of markets has tripled over the past couple of decades. But all that growth presents challenges for producers, and even some customers.
At lunchtime on a Thursday afternoon, the farmers market in downtown DeKalb is in full swing. With live music in the background, customers are checking out booths that offer everything from fresh vegetables and fruit to specialty bread and flowers.
The Windy Acres Farmout of Geneva has a spot at this shrine to locally grown food. At this tent, you can get low-acid apples for $3.50 a pound. Homegrown zucchini will cost you $2 a piece. Windy Acres employee Jamie Srail says they do more than a dozen markets each week. She says as these events continue to pop up, the competition becomes fiercer.
“You should really only have two to three produce people, depending on the size of the market. Some of the markets are a little bit more than that. That’s probably our biggest thing. We have to compete with everyone else and it brings the prices down,” Srail said.
It’s not just price structures these vendors worry about. Elsewhere, people have expressed concern that some producers might be stretching themselves too thin by adding more and more markets to their schedule. Others say there’s the possibility of a farmers market glut that would strike an unhealthy balance with customer demand. Vendor David Woodruff says he sees the warning signs.
“It certainly seems obvious to me that if every town has a farmer’s market, eventually we’re going to reach saturation. I think towns are finding that. Some of the smaller markets are having real problems.”
Woodruff sells organic vegetables at the Woodstock farmers market, which ranks among the best in the state. Sharon Davis of Crystal Lake is a regular shopper here. Davis says she finds herself facing greater competition on the customer side for the broccoli she so cherishes.
“You have to get there so early, and people buy such big amounts. I’ve seen people buy it from the farmer’s market who have restaurants, so they’re buying mass quantities of things and I’m just one person. So it’s hard for the one person,” Davis said.
Other customers say all this growth is a good thing, because it gives them more opportunities to develop relationships with local growers. Producer Troy Edmonds says he loves the idea of connecting with more and more people who are interested in what he’s selling. But he says you almost have to resist the temptation to become a major player on the scene.
“You’re almost forced to maybe get bigger. And that’s not always the answer. You lose on quality, because if I have to spend more time working more ground, I’m not focusing on presenting my product,” Edmonds said.
Smart growth is what Pat Stieren says is needed as these markets continue to spread across the state. Stieren heads the newly created Illinois Farmers Market Association, which offers guidance to those getting started.
“When new markets call me, I tell em’ ‘just start small,’ and that it’s really based on the needs of your community,” Stieren said.
Stieren also says they’re also trying to encourage more people to get into farming, as a way to ensure there are enough producers to meet the current demand.
One of the biggest things the association is watching is the threat of vendors who buy foods wholesale, but present it as something that was grown locally.
“That’s really a consumer awareness issue, and we’re looking at from the state that it’s false advertising knowing they did not grow that,” Stieren said.
Stieren says it highlights the need to get more community support for these markets, because some of them don’t have the manpower to police everything that’s going on. Steiren says that’s also why they to hope to reach a statewide consensus on consistent regulations that would make sure this massive growth includes a common sense approach.