The truth behind the farmers market

It's a rite of the season.

Like bees bouncing from flower to flower, eager customers dash from vendor to vendor at Colorado Springs farmers markets, filling their baskets with all that fresh-from-the-farm produce: garlic, lettuce, peas, peaches, lemons, herbs, carrots, beets and more.

But hold it a sec. Are lemons grown in Colorado? The answer: no. At least nobody is growing enough to be considered a crop. And, that peach you may have bought at a June market most likely came from out of state. It might even have come from your neighborhood King Soopers.

For hard core locavores (someone who is devoted to eating only food locally produced), that's as tragic as drowning a juicy rib-eye steak in A-1 Sauce.

"I've built my culinary reputation here as a chef who prepares as much Colorado products as I can source," said Lawrence Johnson, owner of The Warehouse Restaurant and Gallery. "I like shopping at the market that is at the Margarita (at PineCreek). It's smaller and easier to talk to the vendors about what they are selling.

"I like the larger one in Old Colorado City, too. But they have a lot of imports (food from other states). It's hard to source just Colorado there because it's more crowded and not as easy to talk to the vendors."

The farmers market at The Margarita at PineCreek is one of two run by the Colorado Farm & Art Market (CFAM), which is a cooperative business, owned and operated by its membership. The membership is limited to regionally based, independent businesses who produce Colorado products.

"We don't accept re-sell products," says Neva Jacobs, the CFAM market manager. "Customers are happier knowing what they're buying. Our markets are not as crowded, so customers have more time to talk to the vendors. There's more transparency.
"By the way, not everyone selling at the markets are organic growers, but the food they sell does come from Colorado."

According to the CFAM rules and regulations, grower members are not required to use any specific agricultural methods or practices. But grower members will be required to complete and submit a production affidavit that discloses whether agricultural and farm products are certified organic, chemical-free, pesticide-free, biodynamic, certified naturally grown or conventional.

If those things matter to you then you'll be interested to know about yet another option: Homegrown on Tejon, sponsored by the Colorado Springs's Conservation Corps.

"We are catering to micro-farmers and backyard gardeners," said Kim Schultz, director of the Conservation Corps and manager of Homegrown on Tejon. "The idea is to eat locally and reduce our carbon foot(print). We're also coordinating with members of CFAM, who will have a table at our downtown market."

The market will be small this first year, limited to eight tables that will be set up on each side of Tejon Street on sidewalks in front of Poor Richards and Flavors on Tejon.

"The rule is that everything must be grown organically on less than 3 acres," she said. "The exception will be the farmers who might come each week from CFAM. We will provide the tables under the awnings that are already there."

Other markets in the area are less rigid about what vendors can sell. That's because much of Colorado's produce isn't ready for harvesting until weeks or months after the first markets open in June.

"I believe in supporting farmers regardless of whether they are from here or Idaho," said Frank Schmidt, manager for the Pikes Peak Farmers Markets that are held at Memorial Park, Old Colorado City and Doherty High School. "But I want the vendors to be honest about where the food is coming from and customers can decided whether to buy or not."

Other markets in Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake and Woodland Park operate pretty much like Schmidt's markets. They're liberal with rules for farmers.

Another reason for vast differences between markets is the lack of state regulation.

"The State does not manage markets and we do not regulate them," said Wendy White, managing specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "Markets are independently managed and all have different vendor rules and regulations about what products can be sold and from where."

The good news is that there are many local farmers markets from which to choose. That was not so much the case a few years ago.