I’ve never commented on an article I’ve read in the newspaper before. Yet I felt compelled to write to you regarding your October 19, 2006 article titled "What's happened to our farmers markets?". I just wanted to thank you. Thank you for writing one of the most ignorant articles that I’ve ever read.
I have always assumed that a journalist always fact checks their work before being published. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a journalist but if you had then you would have been able to do a simple internet search and discovered that most of your opinions were not worthy of being read in print.
Let's begin with your comment regarding pricing: "When I went to Vista 20 years ago, I could bring home a week's worth of produce for about $20. Now, I can barely get by with $40."
Your comment insinuates that farmers are overpricing their products. Do you realize how much inflation has increased in those 20 years? Not to mention that farmers today need to address many issues that exist today that did not exist 20 years ago. Such as:
- increased land prices as a result of urban sprawl. According to California Chapter of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers an acre of land in 1994 would cost $5000. In 2001 (7 short years later) that number had skyrocketed to $20,000 per acre.
- higher energy bills. As we both know, SDG&E has increased their prices over the last 20 years. According to SDG&E reports in November 1986 energy prices for peak usage were 5.5. In November 2005? Prices climbed to 13.95. Almost 3x the amount!
- high cost of water. According to the San Diego County Farm Bureau the average farmer pays over $600 per acre foot of water (among the highest in the nation). Many San Diegans assume that since we live next to the ocean that we are water rich. Sadly, this is not true. Most of our water is imported from the Colorado River and Sacramento Delta. Farmers in the area have gone above and beyond to install water conservation devices on the land. The problem? Many urban house dwellers continue to over irrigate their lawns as well as plant with high water uptake species such as pampas grass and arundo. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arundo_donax
- environmental regulations that didn't exist 20 years ago. Today's San Diego County farmer must interact with 9 (nine!) permitting and regulatory agencies before doing much of the work on their land. Could you imagine having to consult with 9 legal authorities each time you submitted a story?
And I'm sure you didn't stop to think that maybe those "$10 for two cups" blueberries were grown using labor intensive organic farming principals versus the conventionally farmed blueberries from 1986. For more information on organic farming principals and how they effect the price of produce, please visit the Certified California Organic Farmers (CCOF) website: http://www.ccof.org/
In addition I would like to comment on this statement: "Farmers markets will thrive when they are located and spaced properly." Was this statement based upon your feelings or did you bother to contact the California Federation of Certified Farmers' Markets? (http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/)
Maybe you should write a second article highlighting the struggles of a local farmer. Many people such as yourself forget where your food comes from (it doesn't magically appear at the farmer's markets). I think an important question to ask them would be why do they continue to farm? Most do it for the love of the land. When's the last time you did something so completely unselfish?
