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Farmers markets: how to make sure you are buying local for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving seems to bring many of us to farmers markets. If you are committed to buying local, though, be ready to ask the vendors lots of questions.

Thanksgiving seems to bring out a desire among many of us to press the persimmons, caress the kale and maybe pat a pumpkin or two with the knowledge that it came from some fertile ground not too far away from us.

Whether we have this impulse to see ourselves as part of a verdant farm community at other times of the year may depend on how close a local farmers market is or how great an awareness we have of the economic and environmental issues that drive the 鈥渂uy-local鈥� food movement. (See websites such as for more info on that.)

But even with all the good intentions to support local farmers and get the freshest, most pesticide-free green beans or broccoli this time of year, it isn鈥檛 always so easy to do.

IN PICTURES: The foreign and domestic food chain

Even the granddaddy of farmers markets in the heart of Los Angeles has had to tussle with farmers bringing in grapes imported from, say, Chile, or oranges that have been spray-painted to look riper than they are, says manager Stan Savage.

So when even the most established venues occasionally have to send a farmer packing for misrepresenting the origin of his or her produce, what can the average consumer do to ensure that that rutabaga, yam, or cabbage really came from some terra firma not to distant from where its being sold?

The first clue may be a simple touch, says Tom Tapia, of Tapia Bros., a farm and market stand in the San Fernando Valley.

鈥淚f it feels waxy, then it鈥檚 probably not local,鈥� he says. Most likely, it鈥檚 been picked up from big wholesale markets where produce is shipped in from other parts of the country or world and is wax-coated or even painted for both cosmetic and preservation purposes. Also, he says, local farmers don鈥檛 take the time to sort and ensure that all the apples or plums are exactly the same size or color. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to see a lot of variation in truly local produce,鈥� he points out.

Beyond those insider tips, simple common sense can go a long way. Ask questions, both at your local grocery or farmers market. California has a two-decade-old state certification program for farmers markets. At minimum, says Jay Van Rhein, of the state Department of Food and Agriculture, this means the produce is grown in the state. A lot of farmers will make the extra effort to tell you just how local they are, he says, 鈥渨ith photos of the farms on their stalls.鈥�

And even though there are some 700 certified farmers markets in the state, it pays to ask, says community activist Stevie Stern. Neighbors in her community banded together just over a year ago to bring a new farmers market to the area and bothered to obtain official certification 鈥� which includes inspection and oversight of each vendor. But, she points out, 鈥渘ot even a mile away from us, there is another farmers market without the certification, and I don鈥檛 think people realize there is a difference.鈥� At the noncertified site, she says, 鈥渂ig refrigerated trucks routinely pull up with produce from who knows where.鈥�

Getting to know the farmers in your local farmer鈥檚 market is probably the best move a committed buy-local consumer can make, says Mr. Savage. 鈥淚 encourage people to talk to our farmers, our butchers, our poultry farmers,鈥� he says. It鈥檚 really hard to misrepresent what you grow on your farm when you have regular customers and they want to know all about the farm, he adds.

Getting to know the farmers and the people who live around you is part of the point of buying local, says Ms. Stern. Beyond that she adds, there are all the other benefits, from fresher food that lasts longer to just the pleasure of encountering what thrives in the part of the world you live in.

鈥淏ecause I care about buying and supporting local farmers, it also means I have new taste experiences and encounter produce I might never have tried if I didn鈥檛 go out with the idea of seeing what鈥檚 in season,鈥� she says, adding, 鈥渁 woman at our local market handed me a perfectly ripe persimmon just the other day and I tried it. I probably would never have done that at a grocery store.鈥�

IN PICTURES: The foreign and domestic food chain