Most Californians are nowhere near a Farmer’s Market and the few that are probably would not know what to do with produce.
They could buy produce at any supermarket — but they don’t.
This is just another waste of money. Our money.
Actually, farmer’s markets offer no bargains. They tend to have nice produce and an interesting variety of other foods, but price wise they are not cheap. And you have to be careful about what’s passed off as “locally grown”. Sometimes its not. Don’t let the name “farmers” fool you — some of the chatty vendors will rip you off like common street hustlers.
Low income folks could do much better shopping for discounts at no-frills type grocery stores, or at Walmart and Target. Check the weekly fliers and buy what’s on sale. You can save a lot.
Not true. Theyve been giving these vouchers away for years. I actually quit going to farmers markets because of them. When I got there everything good was gone. And if they’re still there they’ll shove you out of the way to get what they want.
First time it happened I asked the guy.....what happened to all your produce? It’s all gone. He simply replied.....vouchers. I asked a friend who worked at the welfare dept and she explained it to me.
A lot of our welfare clients in California are Mexican....and they love fresh produce.
I was thinking this too. If it doesn’t go in a microwave or get slapped between two pieces of bread, they are not going to buy it.
I live in a semi-rural area, and there is a farmer not far from me who carts his produce stand out near the road every morning. Occasionally, he is doing the selling, but, usually, the stand is staffed by a paid worker.
Recently, I overheard part of said worker’s conversation with another produce stand patron. Worker was telling patron about a conversation she had had with a “foodstamp” recipient. Apparently, Worker was encouraging the welfare person to get a job at the produce stand. Worker said that when she mentioned that Welfare Girl could get free food —I guess the farmer lets the worker take home the leftovers — Welfare Girl said, “Yeah, but then I’d have to cook it.” Worker was thoroughly disgusted with the attitude.