Farmers markets are very popular as they are seen to be more “sustainable” than the corporate grocery stores. They are places where you feel like you are supporting your community. Most of the time, the demographic of the people that are frequenting these places is liberals with large amounts of money. The high prices found at the farmers' market are not just about the higher costs associated with organic farming, but rather a barrier to entry. This keeps the farmers' market as a white and wealthy place. Farmers' markets also romanticize the idea of an independent farmer. This idea ignores the reality of agricultural labor (commonly in California), which is overwhelmingly performed by minorities and people of color. These groups of people are often absent from the social and management faces of these markets.
The “habit of whiteness” is very convicting. When someone buys a bunch of organic foods, they feel as though they are “doing good” or “doing their part”. However, low-income residents of the area and people of color are unable to access this commodity. A lot of the managers of these markets have an idea of what the “community” should look like. This image is typically white-centric. This creates a feedback loop where the market stays white because it feels white. It feels white because it only attracts those who fit within that idea.
This dominance is challenged at times with individual solidarity and institutional efforts. Some markets are beginning to accept SNAP or EBT benefits to support the general community as well as searching out a more diverse vendor base. Individuals within the community are also completing acts of solidarity and anti-racism when individuals of those groups enter the market. We need to make these spaces inclusive if we want to move past the performance of just “doing good”. We need to look at who is excluded from the space through signage, the “vibe” of the market, music, and the prices.
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