Food for Thought: Do You Need Farmers for a Farmers Market?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703404004575198270918567074.html
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This article appeared in the Wall Street Journal yesterday and it brings up a great point - do you have to be the person who grow the veggies to sell them at a farmer's market?

Most people, I'd suspect, would assume that the person standing behind the table of tomatoes and peppers was the person, or at least part of the family, that grew those items. However, with the explosion of farmer's markets around the country, there is also a growing market for people who buy food wholesale, (from the same people that Krogers and Meijers purchase from) and then resell it at markets. So, is this a deceptive practice? What about all of that fresh bread and canned jams and jellies on the table...were they purchased as well?

This is really a situation of "buyer beware." But think of this in more positive light; this is a way for you as a buyer to get to know the person who is growing your food. Talk to them. You can usually find out with just a simple question of, "Did you grow this," to find out the answer. And if you are talking to the grower, what a great opportunity to find out then what farming methods they use (organic or not). Most farmers are more than willing to talk about their farms and their produce. They are proud of the work that they have put in to bring these items to the market for you.

Each farmer's market is different. Here is our area, there are markets where you MUST be the person producing what is one your table, and others where you don't have to be, you just can't label the items as "home grown". Also, here in Indiana, if you produce jellies, breads, cookies, or other homemade items, they must be sold by the person who made them. However, it doesn't hurt to ask.

What to do with all these eggs.

We have over 100 laying hens on our farm. Although we sell most of the eggs, it is not unusual for me to have a couple dozen extra each week. Many times, I will freeze the eggs (break the eggs into a container and scramble. You can freeze them in a larger container, or in ice cube trays. I believe 2 egg-cubes equals about 1 large egg.) This is great for in the winter when they aren't laying as much.

Anyway, I'm always on the look out for recipes that use lots of eggs. This is one of my husband's favorites. It's a take off of a Rachel Ray recipe:

Fritatta

12 eggs, slightly beaten
1 lb cooked spaghetti
6 oz your favorite cheese (we actually like a mixture of mozeralla and asiago)
6 strips of bacon
2 c your favorite veggies (mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.)

Grease a 9x13 pan. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
Cook the bacon. Finely chop and set aside. Drain most of the grease from the pan.
(Use a big enough pan to fit a lb. of cooked spaghetti) Put veggies in pan and cook until soften. Add spaghetti and eggs. You don't really want to completely cook the eggs, so just stir constantly for about 3 minutes.

Dump mixture into 9x13 pan. Add bacon crumbles and cheese on top. Bake for 15-20 until golden brown.

I would say this make 6 servings, but my husband would say it only makes 2.