Getting Certified
Many venues call themselves farmers markets, but California’s approximately 350 certified farmers markets are part of a program established by the state in 1977 to allow farmers to sell directly to consumers.
The first certified market in the Southland, in Gardena, opened June 23, 1979. There are now 85 markets in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties. The agricultural commissioner of each California county certifies growers and markets. Sponsors of farmers markets include municipalities, nonprofit organizations, individuals and businesses. Each market has at least one manager to whom farmers apply; if accepted, producers must agree to abide by the market’s rules and to pay fees, usually based on sales, that go toward common expenses; any funds left over go to the sponsor.
Each producer’s certifiable items, listed on a certificate after an annual inspection, can include fruits, nuts, vegetables, eggs, flowers and plants. Certain other foods may be in the spirit of the markets but can’t be certified as most agricultural items are: Cheese falls under the state’s purview, for example, and locally caught fish and mushrooms foraged in the wild cannot be counted as belonging to a producer. Many markets also have nonagricultural booths, which are supposed to be in a separate, clearly marked area; these can range from prepared foods, crafts and kiddie rides to psychics and Young Republicans.
Tougher New Rules
To combat cheating, last December the farmers market industry tightened its regulations, including these provisions:
* After each market, farmers must fill out reports listing their sales by volume and category (for example, 200 pounds of peaches). This information allows investigators to compare what farmers have sold with the production of their farms. These “load sheets” have been fairly common in Southern California but are now mandatory statewide.
* Farmers can sell for only two other growers in the course of a year by using “second certificates.” Previously, they could sell for two other growers at any time, adding new sources of supply as needed.
* To avoid sham leases, the new regulations require that vendors claiming to have leased land show a notarized lease to county agricultural authorities before a certificate listing the land is issued. To be valid, leases must be signed before fruit trees bloom and before the planting of vegetable crops. Also, vendors who claim to be in partnerships can’t show up just at harvest but must practice all the “agricultural arts”: fertilizing, irrigating, pruning and pest control.
* The state has imposed a new fee of 60 cents per farmer at each market to fund administration and enforcement of the certified markets program. In the next year, the state will hire a full-time inspector to undertake cross-county investigations, which have been a weak link in enforcement.
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California’s Farmers Markets Surge
The number of farmers markets in Southern California has nearly tripled in the last 10 years, putting even more pressure on the counties to keep up with possible cheaters.
1979....1
2000....85
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Sources: Los Angeles Ciunty Agricultural Commission; David Karp.
