Farmers’ Markets 101: 5 Questions You Need to Ask Your Farmer

At local farmers markets, stallholders have more freedom as to what they can say, make claim to and add to their signage. How do you know if the food you’re buying is actually organic or ‘pesticide spray free’? Do you take everything at face value and trust what you are being told? If you want to find out more from your farmers, then here are the top 5 questions to ask them.

1. I’m allergic to chemicals, is your produce safe? Is it completely chemical free?

• There are so many chemicals that could be sprayed on your fruit and vegetables or even used during the processing of some of the food sold at local markets.
• If the food is chemically free, they may not be certified organic yet as the process is quite expensive and lengthy.

2. Is it CERTIFIED organic?

• If the producer says it is, you can ask who they are certified with and ask to see the certificate.
  
  3. Is there a farm nearby that sprays chemicals on their produce?

• Unfortunately chemicals like glyphosate travel in the air, so it’s a good idea to find out who their neighbouring farms are and how they practice.
• A farm cannot become certified organic if their neighbour sprays chemicals. Therefore if you are buying from a stall that claims their produce is ‘spray free’, their neighbouring farm may spray chemicals, which is probably contaminating all the crops surrounding it. This is something to be mindful of.
  
  4. Is any of the produce grown on your farm genetically modified, chemically hybridised or altered in any way?
  
  

• Produce may be labelled as ‘spray free’ or even ‘organic’ however it may have been altered in one way or another.
  
  
  
  5. What is the name of your farm and where is it located?

• If you are still unsure then research the farm online and you could contact the farm to ask more questions.

We all have the right to know the truth about where our food is coming from. We are in a crisis where we are consistently being exposed to chemicals through the air we breathe, the grass we touch, the plastic containers our food is packaged in and much more. Therefore control your chemical exposure where you can, particularly in your own home.

Happy changing habits.

Sheridan Williamson

Nutritionist