Professors claim farmers’ markets cultivate racism

I've actually come to the point where anything that begins with "College Professor Says" has automatically been filed by my brain as a steaming pile of dung.

What a shame.

Somebody needs to tell that to all the Mexicans down here in southern Arizona.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: SlapMonkey


Interesting that they mention farmers markets being unaffordable.

They don't accept food stamps, so in the minds of people like these professors, they're clearly unaffordable and racist...

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus
And most of the time they still accept EBT don't they? We like to shop at various ones setup around town, and at the register, they usually have a written or printed sign that says "We accept EBT/SNAP , EBT/SNAP accepted here" or something like that. I always think to myself "oh good, at least broke people could take advantage of better food selections as well."

Is that not the case in other states?? Maybe it is state law in Florida or something, I don't know.

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

I know, right?

Sometimes 1/3 to, sometimes, 1/2 what a supermarket would charge, and the quality is, at the least, on a par with the best a supermarket can offer.

As for it being "racist"? The Farmers market here certainly isn't. Asians. Blacks. Hispanics. Whites. All shopping together peacefully... Quite the opposite of rascist, in my not so humble opinion, rather inclusive, in fact.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Some do. Mine does, or some of the stalls do...

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
There are few things that bother me more (but there are some) than the inappropriate use of the race card, or calling something racist/racism when it's not even close.

Well, here we are with an article fully titled Professors claim farmers’ markets cultivate racism: ‘Habits of white people are normalized’ and written by two professors at San Diego State University.

The title of the story pretty much sums it up, but let's get to the meat of things:

Two professors from San Diego State University claim in a new book that farmers’ markets in urban areas are weed-like “white spaces” responsible for oppression.

Pascale Joassart-Marcelli and Fernando J Bosco are part of an anthology released this month titled “Just Green Enough.” The work, published by Routledge, claims there is a correlation between the “whiteness of farmers’ markets” and gentrification.

Yes, ladies and gents, farmers markets are a piece of the gentrification pie, according to these authors. Keep in mind, if you will, that these authors are geology professors, so who better to discuss the whiteness of farmers markets and how it applies to gentrification, correct?

But let's just see what they have to say, because I'm sure that they're onto something, here (now quoted from the CampusReform article:

... farmers’ markets are “exclusionary” since locals may not be able to “afford the food and/or feel excluded from these new spaces.”

This social exclusion is reinforced by the “whiteness of farmers’ markets” and the “white habitus” that they can reinforce, the professors elaborate, describing farmers’ markets as “white spaces where the food consumption habits of white people are normalized.”

Check the White Habitus at the door, please.

... 44 percent of the city’s farmers’ markets are located in census tracts with a high rate of gentrification, leading them to conclude that farmers’ markets “attract households from higher socio-economic backgrounds, raising property values and displacing low-income residents and people of color.”

Yes, not even a majority of San Diego's farmer's markets are located in areas "with a high rate of gentrification," yet they still find it sane to conclude that these markets are a catalyst of gentrification.

In my experience, the existence of farmers markets tends to lag behind the development of communities, not precede them in order to increase the area's value and "whiteness" (and I've moved, along with my family and wife, who is big on seeking out farmers markets, no less than eight times since 2002). We talk to farmers and organizers of farmers markets and we have a decent understanding of the "why" behind the location, success, and failure of farmers markets, none of which are purposefully tied to the demographics or even the income level of an area.

But, regardless as to whether or not my conclusions align with theirs, I'm sure that since they've cited this "white habitus" as being both a problem for lower-income and minority communities and a contributor to gentrification, they must have some great ideas to deal with this "problem" that they've addressed:

The professors stop short of offering specific remedies, but do conclude that “curbing gentrification is a vexing task” that requires the involvement of both community members and local governments.

“Strong community involvement,” they say, is necessary in order to ensure that “the needs of the poorest...residents are prioritized,” while local governments can enact “equitable zoning policies, rent-control laws, and property tax reforms in favor of long-time homeowners” to combat the trend toward gentrification.

Oh, I see, they have no clue as to how this issue should be addressed--but, hey, they spell out a lovely example of socialist governance, so there's that gem! We all know how, over time, socialism always affects the poorest people in the best of ways.

Well, anyhoo, feel free to discuss the asininity of the cultivation of racism by the existence of farmers markets. This ought to be fun.

I hate the political mud pit, but dammit, I couldn't find a better spot for it.

Here is a link to Just Green Enough, if you're interested in purchasing a book that describes itself this way:

While global urban development increasingly takes on the mantle of sustainability and "green urbanism," both the ecological and equity impacts of these developments are often overlooked. One result is what has been called environmental gentrification, a process in which environmental improvements lead to increased property values and the displacement of long-term residents. The specter of environmental gentrification is now at the forefront of urban debates about how to accomplish environmental improvements without massive displacement.

Their screed is anti-gentrification. The authors are talking out of both sides of their mouths which is common for progressives. On one hand, they will scream about how bad neighborhoods are and lack of amenities. However, when a neighborhood starts to get popular, the then scream about gentrification which is code speak for wealthy whites moving into a once blighted neighborhood driving up rents and property values to the point that the original locals can no longer afford to live there.

Farmers markets & Starbucks are often the first sign that an urban neighborhood is becoming acceptable to yuppies.

My side profession is as a freelance writer for a couple regional magazines. I literally just finished an article on Urban Farming and the benefits provided to the local communities they’re located in. Detroit has some amazing things going on with multiple reclaimed derelict neighborhoods that have been converted to community farms with upwards of twenty thousand pounds of food being produced a year and distributed freely to locals, food pantries and the volunteers that brought the project to fruition. I fail to see any racism in that.
Another guy I spoke with talked about the troubles he’s had in getting financing for a community farm that he’s been trying to get going in Flint. He had over 150 kids come through his program learning about how to build and plant a garden along with everything they need to know to maintain to see their crops make it all the way to harvest time. Same guy has people who raise poultry come to yeah these kids about raising their own chickens for eggs and also meat chickens. I’d hazard a guess that ninety five percent of these kids are of African descent and now they now the basics and then some of being able to provide food for themselves and their families out of their own backyard.
The only thing racist going on is these know everything professors except for anything related to common sense telling people that growing their own food or buying food grown by a person and not an entity is promoting racism.
It’s ridiculous that our publicly funded professors are spreading this nonsense while on the flip side a man and a handful of volunteers are actually teaching kids something worthwhile but are struggling for funding to the point where they’re having to bankroll the project from their own pockets. The guy in Flint had been told no close to two thousand times while approaching the local business community about sponsorship. Priorities are so out of whack it’s disheartening.

Our farmer's market accepts WIC (Food stamps)....

originally posted by: seagull
a reply to: burdman30ott6

Some do. Mine does, or some of the stalls do...

This is a trend that has not reached Alaska to my knowledge. Most of our farmer's markets take cash only. That said, I happily drop some founding fathers on their produce every weekend through the summer and early fall. Few things taste better than fresh, organically grown veggetals.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
They don't accept food stamps, so in the minds of people like these professors, they're clearly unaffordable and racist...

I didn't even think about that since I'm obviously a racist and don't think about food stamps.

originally posted by: seagull
As for it being "racist"? The Farmers market here certainly isn't. Asians. Blacks. Hispanics. Whites. All shopping together peacefully... Quite the opposite of rascist, in my not so humble opinion, rather inclusive, in fact.

Yeah. I prefer the farmers market to the supermarket, you get to know your purveyor and build up a great rapport.

There really are no words here. Racist? Say it out loud.

"Farmers Markets are Racist"

What is even better is good ole gentrification. How dare people fix up urban ghettos. F'n clowns...all of them.

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Funny thing is, one of the farms is owned by a black family. He must be racist too.

Is that Tom's Farmers Market?

a reply to: SlapMonkey

Can someone give me the abridged version of why "gentrification" is bad?

I guess they were tired of being made fun of for staring at rocks, and dove into the behavioral sciences fiction instead.

a reply to: seagull

As for it being "racist"? The Farmers market here certainly isn't. Asians. Blacks. Hispanics. Whites. All shopping together peacefully... Quite the opposite of rascist, in my not so humble opinion, rather inclusive, in fact.

The clientele at my local farmers market is a mix that represents all races.

It is the only place nearby that I can go to get Vietnamese food.

a reply to: burdman30ott6
I think I figured out how it works. If the market is run under an umbrella group with a single identity that sells produce provided by many local growers, than it is very likely it will have all its paperwork in order and accept the EBT. However, if you are at one of those big open flea market style farmers markets that deals with each individual producer, it is up to each one of those individuals to have gotten their paperwork in order to accept EBT.

Honestly it is in the best interest for those vendors to accept it, as this broadens the customer base and provides an amplified and guaranteed source of revenue. Of course in Alaska, perhaps a lack of infrastructure accommodations for the more isolated communities may explain it as well.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: FauxMulder
Funny thing is, one of the farms is owned by a black family. He must be racist too.

Is that Tom's Farmers Market?

He prefers to be called 'Old Uncle Racist Black Tom'.... I should know, he is my uncle.

I don't hear any racist stuff at Farmers Markets. Most people are discussing fruits and veggies, some talk about grass fed or natural meats and eggs and milks. Of course, there are those who discuss the homemade chocolates there and also different types of wine.

Color does not matter there, as long as vegetables are green, potatoes are tan, the carrots can be many colors, some people just like orange ones. Maybe the people starting this kind of crap are just Hulu, lots of professors are more than a little unhinged.

This rumor must be funded by commercial producers and some in the agriculture and USDA agencies who are tied to the commercial markets somehow.

We see people of all different races at the farmers markets. We do not have that many black people here, they know better than to move up here where the winters are long and cold and snowy. Some people cannot tolerate the cold very well, some need to live where it is warmer. Some of the foods we consume regularly to keep warm are not consumed as much where the weather is warmer, some people lack some enzymes to process these foods. Here in the winter, there is a lack of sun too, you need to eat potatoes and carrots to help fend off depression..

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: SlapMonkey

Can someone give me the abridged version of why "gentrification" is bad?

I guess they were tired of being made fun of for staring at rocks, and dove into the behavioral sciences fiction instead.

South Park covered it in 'The City Part of Town'.