Farm stand. Fake farm stand maybe?

tuatara

tuatara

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I was driving home from a road trip on a highway that goes through the country. I started seeing handwritten signs on pieces of cardboard, really home-made-looking things, advertising different fruits and vegetables at specific prices: lopes 2/1.00, cucumbers (I forget the price, but it was good), tomatoes, corn, etc. There were lots and lots of signs as I drove down the highway. I thought about all the times I'd seen those while driving, and felt like I should stop, but I never do because I'm in a hurry or too tired or I'm going somewhere that it wouldn't make sense to buy produce for.

But this time I thought I should really try to get some of those good deals - the grocery stores are so expensive, and to get some farm-fresh produce would be great. So I stopped, mainly looking for the cantaloupes. When I saw them, wow, they all had rotten spots on them. So I went to look for the cucumbers, and they didn't look rotten, but not fresh either. I didn't bother looking at anything else too carefully because at that point I was thinking this is not a farm stand. Probably it's some sort of outlet for produce that got shipped into the area and wasn't sold to local grocery stores, so they're passing it off as local farmed goods by putting up the homemade-looking signs.

So I was pretty annoyed. Then I thought of all the other times I didn't stop, felt like maybe I'd been doing the right thing all along. But it's funny, because I always felt like there are these great farm stands along the highway and some day I can do some fun shopping on the road, get some fresh produce, and that dream is sort of shot.

Why am I so affected by this? I have my own garden. It was just weird, I guess.
 
There is indoor flea market by me that had cereals and candies for so cheap. I then looked at expiration date. Everything, YES EVERYTHING was past expiration date!!! I had thought that someone should put them out of biz. Then again, maybe people don't look at expiration dates before buying.
 
The fake farmer's market signs would bother me, but the fact they are offering to sell "past date" foods does not. If the price is right, it is a great way to avoid just throwing the stuff out, due to not having the perfect appearance needed for grocery shelves.
 
saywhatkid said:
The fake farmer's market signs would bother me, but the fact they are offering to sell "past date" foods does not. If the price is right, it is a great way to avoid just throwing the stuff out, due to not having the perfect appearance needed for grocery shelves.
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They may be cheap, but I don't think I would like the idea of buying expired food(sealed or not).
 
Sounds kind of weird. Were they Asian or not of white background?

The reason I say that is because it is something some poor third world society does, as they do sell produce on the brink of expiration for cheap. What is generally expected is that the bad parts are "chopped" off, then everyone's happy.
 
dereksbicycles said:
There is indoor flea market by me that had cereals and candies for so cheap. I then looked at expiration date. Everything, YES EVERYTHING was past expiration date!!! I had thought that someone should put them out of biz. Then again, maybe people don't look at expiration dates before buying.
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There are some small timer stores that thrive off selling these cheap near-expiration stuff. I've seen them as both Western and Asian stores.

Makes you wonder where does all the expired stuff actually go when no one buys it for the rest of its life.
 
naisho said:
Sounds kind of weird. Were they Asian or not of white background?

The reason I say that is because it is something some poor third world society does, as they do sell produce on the brink of expiration for cheap. What is generally expected is that the bad parts are "chopped" off, then everyone's happy.
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Everyone I saw looked to be of white background.
 
saywhatkid said:
The fake farmer's market signs would bother me, but the fact they are offering to sell "past date" foods does not. If the price is right, it is a great way to avoid just throwing the stuff out, due to not having the perfect appearance needed for grocery shelves.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I feel the same way. Nothing wrong with selling that stuff. I was just annoyed that I'd pulled off the road for what I thought was a farm stand. Could have saved a little gas and a little time.
 
Whenever I do visit the Flea Markets...and if their veggies are good (especially tomatoes), I buy them...but I never buy Cereal or boxed stuff from there....very seldom do I buy anything along the road...feel sure that a lot of these Roadside Fruit Stands will be popping up all over with the warmer weather.

And I've seen some elderly seniors with fruit stands along the roads....trying to make a buck to supplement their social security, I'm guessing...or just giving them something to do....even people to talk to....
 
dereksbicycles said:
They may be cheap, but I don't think I would like the idea of buying expired food(sealed or not).
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The other option is throwing it out. I prefer giving people with tight budget a chance to buy this produce. Not talking about meat, dairy, or packaged foods.
 
amylynne said:
I was driving home from a road trip on a highway that goes through the country. I started seeing handwritten signs on pieces of cardboard, really home-made-looking things, advertising different fruits and vegetables at specific prices: lopes 2/1.00, cucumbers (I forget the price, but it was good), tomatoes, corn, etc. There were lots and lots of signs as I drove down the highway. I thought about all the times I'd seen those while driving, and felt like I should stop, but I never do because I'm in a hurry or too tired or I'm going somewhere that it wouldn't make sense to buy produce for.

But this time I thought I should really try to get some of those good deals - the grocery stores are so expensive, and to get some farm-fresh produce would be great. So I stopped, mainly looking for the cantaloupes. When I saw them, wow, they all had rotten spots on them. So I went to look for the cucumbers, and they didn't look rotten, but not fresh either. I didn't bother looking at anything else too carefully because at that point I was thinking this is not a farm stand. Probably it's some sort of outlet for produce that got shipped into the area and wasn't sold to local grocery stores, so they're passing it off as local farmed goods by putting up the homemade-looking signs.

So I was pretty annoyed. Then I thought of all the other times I didn't stop, felt like maybe I'd been doing the right thing all along. But it's funny, because I always felt like there are these great farm stands along the highway and some day I can do some fun shopping on the road, get some fresh produce, and that dream is sort of shot.

Why am I so affected by this? I have my own garden. It was just weird, I guess.
Click to expand...

That's really too bad cuz I think that place was pretty much the exception rather than the rule.....
 
It could had been someone selling food they grew in their back yard. A farmer want people to keep coming back to buy his food so I don't it was a real farm . All the farm stands I seen sell fresh veggies if they have spoil food they feed it to their animals.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Maybe the person is taking food out of dumpers and trying to sell it.
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No, this was really a pretty big operation. Way more that what I can imagine anyone coming up with that way. I'm pretty sure it was stuff that got shipped to the area but didn't get sold to stores/restaurants/whatever and ended up at the roadside place.
 
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