Vt. (WCAX) – Shoppers at the Burlington farmers market say they are noticing fewer farmers and more craft vendors. For the growers who do make the trip, the economics of showing up don’t always add up
Coleman Colburn of Fresh Roots Farm said preparing for a single market day takes nearly 18 hours of work. He said the effort builds relationships but not necessarily revenue.
“They’ll meet me, the farmer, they’ll see the produce, they’ll come back week after week. And then because it’s just once a week, they’ll go find our product elsewhere,” Colburn said.
Colburn said wholesaling to grocery stores is where he makes a profit.
Sarah Coon of Hudak Farm said the drive from Franklin County to Chittenden County is worth it for exposure, but the market is not her primary income source.
“It’s an awesome way to get out of Franklin County, get into Chittenden County, meet some new people, have other people experience our products, but actually our biggest
Tucker Andrews co-owns The Farm Upstream in Jericho. He stopped attending farmers markets to keep his produce out of the heat and to avoid what he described as costs that price out both shoppers and vendors.
“Here, it’s like a climate-controlled environment. If it doesn’t sell, put it back in the cooler, bring it out the next day. It’s totally fine,” Andrews said.
Andrews said he lives off on-farm sales. He added that market prices have become out of reach even for the people growing the food.
“With my income as a farmer, I can’t afford to shop at the farmer’s market. Which is strange, but true. It’s part of the reason that I grow food is because… this is the food I like to eat, and I couldn’t afford it otherwise,” Andrews said.
Not all market-goers are deterred by higher prices. Roxanne Martin of Cambridge said the cost is justified.
“It’s worth the extra money to pay for great vegetables,” Martin said.
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