Going to the Farm

Week-13

11.15.11

Pat B.c

This week’s articles made me think of the representation of food, its tradition selling venue, and the concept of an agrarian society.    In the 1930’s the concept of farmer’s markets is selling the extra from an abundant crop indicates, Ms. B (Personal Communication: November 14, 2011).  She said, “And as the towns in Ohio grew the farmers would sell their over abundance in the towns rather than in front of the farm,” thus changing the concept of the farmers’ market and the farmer from a simple economy to a complex business.  Yet many middle class individuals still yearn for the simple agrarian concept of the farm and home grown food and are turning to growing their own food and/or buying locally at farmers markets, or Wilcox.  However the concept has different interpretations depending on the income of the individual.   Today the concept of the farmers’ market varies according to the type of business. The idea of a farmer’s market has become a part of the business industry that sells and looks good on Wall Street.  National store chains sell the idea of tradition through marketing (Ho, An Ethnography of Wall Street, 2009).  Grocery stores use a stage like representation of products advertised to the consumer, typically produced through commercial agricultural practices.  Most of the produce looks the same but typically is different in taste and nutritional value (Becker, Selling Tradition:  Appalachia and the Construction of an American Folk, 1998).  Farmer’s markets also vary based on the location and vendors.   Markets located in upscale locations tend to present food products from small home businesses which are geared for middle and upper middle class.  However, some small local garden growers sell some of their crops at markets run by non-profit organizations designed for the folk.  The prices for food are reasonable and designed to meet the needs for those on food stamps or other fixed incomes.  Tradition sells whether it is viewed as a commodity or not -could this be the demise of society?