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It's personal

Posted at 12:04 PM on November 25, 2008 by Sareen Dunleavy Keenan (3 Comments)

What is your relationship like with your vendors? How do you feel about the connections you have made?

When some of the places that I shop had to close, or change their hours, I felt hurt. Didn't they know I was counting on them? Didn't they know the investment I had made?

But, I also feel that same guilt when we don't make it to our usual shops during the week. As I mentioned, the freezer is packed and the wallet is empty. We haven't been to buy produce anywhere but the farmers market in months. How does that impact those vendors?

When I run into people outside of the shopping day, the relationships aren't as warm as they have been. Times are tough and I hope we can all make it through together. I plan to tough out my guilty feelings and do what I need to do for my family first.

I never knew shopping at a different location would feel like this. I feel like I am sneaking around behind other peoples backs. Like I am cheating on my egg producer. Or if I buy one person's carrots over another, I feel like the other person is just a little bit hurt.

How do you make your decisions? When you can find local and organic, how do you choose between vendors? What makes you buy from one farmer at the market instead of the other? And if you are caught "cheating" on your usual suppliers, what do you do? Help, the guilt is overwhelming!

Comments (3)

I often feel this guilt when I go to the farmer's market. It starts as soon as I get out of my car and take in the vendors. If it is a slow morning for them, they all look over with hopeful looks on their faces. I always try to make a quick pass through before buying anything so I can see what everyone is offering. Then I try to buy a little from as many vendors there as I can. A few tomatoes here, potatoes there, corn over there from the guy who only has corn, etc. It is tough. I go home feeling good about the purchases I have made, but always sad that I couldn't buy more, not because I need the extra food, but because I want to give the grower the extra income I know they deserve. I want them to know that I appreciate all that they do. I want them to continue bring their goods in every week and I know the only way they can do this is if they make a profit.

Posted by Ashley | November 26, 2008 2:12 PM

It is difficult - My sister and I have always tried to spread our produce purchases amongst a variety of farmers. Like Ashley, some herbs here, cucumbers there etc. We are more loyal when it comes to our poultry and meat farmers but even there we spread the dollars around. And when something is single sourced - The first strawberries of the season, the first aspargus we buy from the "early bird" farmer. And I think farmers are at heart realists - they know that we can't buy from everyone all the time.

Posted by Diane | December 3, 2008 8:59 AM

I am glad that other people do the same that we do. I do get a little everywhere. But I do admit that I have bought veggies that we had a hard time eating because I wanted to be sure everyone sold something. I tend to be the one shopping with the smaller farmers - the big guys seem to be well taken care of. I find the guy at the start or end of the line who gets skipped over by the people who want to see what is at the heart of the market.

Thanks for the reminder about them being realists. Duh! They knew/know what they are getting in to.

Posted by Sareen | December 3, 2008 9:11 AM