We Don’t Do Farmers Markets

We don’t do farmers markets.

And every time we say that out loud, someone gets offended.

As if not participating in the curated street fair version of agriculture is an attack on the entire idea of “community.” As if choosing not to spend our Saturdays paying to perform in a blocked-off road means we’re doing something wrong.

We’re not. We’re just busy farming.

Let’s break it down:

Farmers markets cost money. Booth fees, gas, time off the farm, setup, teardown, standing in the sun while your lettuce wilts and your meat starts to thaw. All to compete with a dozen other vendors, many of them selling the same thing, for the same five customers with $20 to spare.

It’s a curated garage sale. And we’re not interested.

Because while you’re shaking your sample tray, the actual work is still waiting. Animals still need fed. Crops still need harvested. Orders still need packed. The farm doesn’t pause just because you’re standing behind a table.

And here’s the part no one likes to talk about: most people can’t afford to shop there anyway.
Especially not every week. Especially not when things get tight.

But instead of addressing that, we just keep dressing it up. Branded tents. Matching aprons. New logos, chalkboard menus, and prices creeping higher every year. We call it local, but it’s more lifestyle than livelihood for most of the people who show up.

That’s not community. That’s marketing.

We’re not here to market. We’re here to farm.

We grow protein. Real food. We accept SNAP. We donate. We build food boxes that go to people who don’t have the time, money, or transportation to hang out in a blocked-off street once a week.

We don’t rely on “good weather” to move product.
We don’t depend on impulse buys or tip jars.
We don’t wait around hoping someone stops at our booth.

We grow it here. We sell it here. It’s not flashy, but it’s steady. It feeds real people, not just trends.

Farmers markets might work for some folks. That’s fine. But let’s stop pretending they’re the gold standard for local food. Let’s stop pretending they’re the solution when most of what they offer isn’t accessible to the very people who need food the most.

We’re not performers. We’re farmers.

And we’ve got work to do.