Comments on: Some Market Vendors Criticize New Forms

By: cindy

cindy — Sat, 01 May 2010 05:31:19 +0000

The market makes national news! an interesting article makes it into the wall street journal. One vendor in particular is mentioned. The article is entitled Food for thought: do you need farmers for a farmers market Growers Try to Weed Out Produce Poseurs as Sour Grapes Taint Blossoming Trend here's the link. april 29, 2010 [link]

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:59:12 +0000

Is it a lie when one is telling a consumer that the products they are selling are homeade (made from scratch) when they really are not? (read nov. current magazine article regarding Kapnick)

Is fudge from a mix considered homemade? imagine if the mackinaw fudge was found to be made with mixes.. THERE is a BIG difference.
under the new application the word”assembled” will now be used. nothing will change as one can buy froxen pre-made breads, add a few sesame or poppy seeds, bake and call it “assembled”.
what’s wrong with adopting the “made from scratch rule” no commercial mixes or pre-made freeze and bake?

By: Luis Vazquez

Luis Vazquez — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:06:14 +0000

Why is there even going to be a public hearing for the transference of seniority? Former Community Services Administrator Jayne Miller set a precedent in 2007 when she allowed Scott Robertello to transfer seniority from Kapnick’s Orchards to his own business entities without any public hearing. If I were Prielipp or Goetz and were denied the transference, I would sue the city. This is one of the reasons why I have advocated getting rid of the seniority system at the Farmers Market: because it has been corrupted, and the city does NOT HAVE THE RECORDS TO BACK UP SENIORITY CLAIMS.

Antoher business entity that has not gone through the transference of seniority is Wasem’s Orchard. When the matriarch of the family (who held the original seniority)died in 2007, Bruce Upston and family did not file a transfer of seniority either. I have a theory as to why: According to Market Operating Rules, the successor business entity would only be able to transfer seniority to a maximum of 3 stall spaces. Wasem’s is one of the few that maintain 4 stalls at the market.

I find it very interesting that the two vendors who spoke against application and inspection modifications at this Market Commission meeting are Scott Robertello and Bruce Upston. What have they got to hide?

By: Pete

Pete — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:48:31 +0000

Also note: a vendor that retires can also lease their business assets to a new entity. This was the case when Janice Kapnick retired. Her corporation Kapnick Orchards Inc. has received lease payments from the new entity Kapnick Farm Market Inc. Also note: the new entity Kapnick Farm Market Inc. then partnered with another farm, R&S Farm Inc. that also received transference along with Kapnick Farm Market Inc. It was confusing because these corporations continued to use the business name of Kapnick Orchards, and they certainly should not have been!

By: consumers

consumers — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 01:15:34 +0000

Look at the rules.. Preillap does not file an application for transference. Goetz is suppose to apply if they are buying or taking over the preillap farm. The goetz farm will have to give up their farm for another farm?! what’s really being asked here?

By: wordtothewise

wordtothewise — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:47:03 +0000

There are a few vendors that sell under the new program “certified authentic beyond organic” these farms are aware that the organic standards are continuously allowing products and farm practices that are not conducive to the original organic farm standards.

The list of OMRI products allowed and disallowed continuously changes, allowing more and more items to be added than was ever intended to be used in “organic” before the goverment program.

The new program CABO is that customers themselves inspect the farm and products and the inspection for the farms are free. Also there are not mountains of paperwork to do. Here’s a link to the site for info to the CABO certification. Certified authentic beyond organic was first introduced by long time and famous organic farmer Elliot Coleman. His article about authentic produce has been circulated world wide and more and more farms are adapting because “organic is dead” [link]

Also, kudo’s to the advisory committee for correcting the application and inspections. However, Mr. Pollack and the advisory committee do not vote on the transfer of seniority issues as they are just an advisory committee. The market already has a vendor that did not go through the transference of seniority and a second farm was added to the original vendors stalls/ business entity.

If preilapp is not selling his business can he give his seniority of stalls to another business entity? I don’t think so….Is the new applicant purchasingor taking over Preilapps farm or is this a new farm entity?

By: DD

DD — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:45:42 +0000

The number of crafters at the Farmers Market should NOT increase. Send the stained glass person to the Artisans Market, and keep FM for food!!! If you want people to spend 10% on local food, make it easy for them by maintaining the farmers market for this purpose.

By: glenn thompson

glenn thompson — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:19:15 +0000

@ E Mosby
At present there isn’t any verification of “organic” at the Ann Arbor Farmers Market. A vendor can be certified under National Organic Program but this is not required to call the product organic at the AA Market. Most of the certified vendors display a copy of their certificate. The ones I am aware of are Andrew Shelter, Wilson’s Produce, Garden Works, Tantre Farms, and Carpenter Produce.

By: Dave Askins

Dave Askins — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:19:31 +0000

Re: [1] and organic products at the market. The Chronicle's December public market report contains some discussion of that issue: [link]

By: E Mosby

E Mosby — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:41:14 +0000

How much of an effort is being made to verify the claims that the products sold are indeed “organic” we just take these vendors’ word for it or is there a verification process for it?

Thank you