07/07/2026
Facebook asked me, “What’s on your mind?”
Since they asked…
Let’s talk about ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBLEMS I see in market farming today.
When people think about what’s hurting small family farms, they usually think about drought, bugs, or the rising cost of literally everything.
But sometimes the biggest problem is the very system that’s supposed to support us.
I’m talking about middlemen buying produce and selling it as “local.” Farmers markets that don’t always put ACTUAL GROWERS first. Content farmers who spend more time creating videos than growing food. And yes… some farm hubs that claim they’re helping farmers while marking products up so high the customer pays a premium, yet the farmer still isn’t paid what their crop is actually worth.
It’s backwards.
Farmers deserve better. Customers deserve better.
They deserve to know WHERE their food came from, WHO grew it, and whether the person selling it actually spent months growing that crop… or simply bought it from someone else.
Here’s the reality…
A real farmer can’t compete with someone who never planted the seed, never pulled weeds, never worried about hail, drought, pests, crop failure, or whether this year’s harvest would even pay the bills… yet still gets to tell the story and make the profit.
Meanwhile, the person who took ALL THE RISK often makes the LEAST MONEY.
I’m not saying every middleman, every farmers market, every content creator, or every farm hub is the problem. There are some incredible people doing it the right way.
But there are enough doing it the wrong way that it’s hurts the people actually growing the food.
After 19 SEASONS, I’m tired of pretending this isn’t happening.
So here’s my question…
WHY AREN’T WE DOING MORE TO PROTECT THE FARMER?
Why aren’t farmers markets giving priority to the people who actually GROW FOOD?
Seriously…
Does one market really need 17 BAKERS and 3 FREEZE-DRIED CANDY VENDORS while produce growers are TURNED AWAY, ASKED NOT TO RETURN, or buried in the back?
Farmers markets were created to connect communities with LOCAL FARMERS.
Somewhere along the way, many have become craft fairs with a few vegetables sprinkled in.
Why aren’t farm hubs transparent about HOW MUCH OF EVERY SALE ACTUALLY GOES BACK TO THE FARMER?
Why aren’t customers told whether they’re buying directly from the grower or from someone who bought it from the grower?
And while we’re asking questions…
Many farmers markets receive SUBSTANTIAL GRANT FUNDING that’s intended to strengthen local food systems and support farmers.
How much of that funding is actually making its way back to the market?
How much is being invested in recruiting farmers, supporting existing vendors, marketing the market, improving infrastructure, or creating opportunities for the people who grow the food?
These aren’t accusations.
They’re questions about TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY.
The amount of grant funding many markets receive is PUBLIC INFORMATION.
Would you be interested in seeing which markets receive those grants and how much funding they receive?
If we really want local agriculture to survive, we need to make it easier for the people growing the food to make a living…
NOT HARDER.
Support the farmers who plant the seeds.
Support the farmers who take the risks.
Support the farmers who lose sleep over the weather.
Support the farmers who are still out there before sunrise because your food doesn’t grow itself.
Because without them…
THERE IS NO LOCAL FOOD SYSTEM.
