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64-427: The Seward Cafe was founded in 1974 as an all-volunteer operation. In order to offset costs, worker-owners were given coupons for free food (known as "Burger Bucks") and some of the original collective members purchased a house to live in cheaply. Eventually, the cafe began to make enough money that workers could be paid minimum wage. The cafe was embroiled in the " co-op wars " of the 1970s, where warring factions within

128-417: A "distributed by/packed for/etc." statement, and it will not have a government inspection legend because its products are sold directly to the consumer. Information on the producing vendor's label will include the following information: It will not include a government inspection legend or seal. Ideally, farmers' market produce and fruit are normally grown within a geographical region that is deemed local by

192-479: A commercial slaughterhouse and/or processing plant. Meat products at farmers' markets being sold by resellers will include a "distributed by/packed for", or similar, statement on the labels of their meat products. Conversely, meat products being sold at farmers' markets that are prepared and packaged by the selling vendor will not include a "distributed by/packed for", or similar, statement. Unprocessed meat (retail cut) products found at farmers' markets may include

256-462: A decline of these markets in some cities such as Shanghai. Yet, in other cities, wet markets persist and dominate the retail of fresh produce and meat. Because of its critical role in ensuring urban food security, wet markets receive various supports from the local government. After 2010, farmers' markets in China were reborn in some major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu amidst

320-594: A farmers' market is similar to past concepts, but different in relation to other forms – as aspects of consumer retailing , overall, continue to shift over time. Similar forms existed before the Industrial Age , but often formed part of broader markets, where suppliers of food and other goods gathered to retail their wares. Trading posts began in 1930s, a shift toward retailers who sold others' products more than their own. General stores and grocery stores continued that specialization trend in retailing, optimizing

384-425: A government inspection legend plus a "distributed by/packed for/prepared for" label. Other information on the label will include weight, price, and safe handling instructions. The official inspection legend includes an establishment number (EST) that identifies the last company that did the processing/butchering, packaging, and labeling of the product. Since the label includes the "distributed by/packed for" statement,

448-438: A government inspection legend that provides a number that identifies the product's producer. The numbers of critics of private label products are increasing as consumers become aware of poor practices often employed by the products' producers. It is not unusual to find distributors/resellers of processed meat products at farmers' markets because wholesale products allow vendors to minimize their investment by not having to pay for

512-413: A government inspection legend without a "distributed by/packed for/etc." statement; such vendors are selling co-pack products in which the maker/producer prepares and packages the product according to the vendors' recipe. Wholesale processed meat products that are resold at farmers' markets are known as "private label" products. Such products will include a "distributed by/packed for/etc." statement plus

576-440: A label that does not have a "distributed by/packed for", etc. statement ensures the buyer that, while the vendor did not do the butchering/packaging/etc., the meat did originate from the vendor's livestock. The label on a meat product that is processed and packed by the selling vendor will not include a government inspection legend and it will not include a "distributed by/packed for" statement. Retail cuts of meat products sold by

640-691: A quarterly meeting of the Policy Review Board, an intermediary organization made up of various representatives from different food stores, hosted at the Odd Fellows Hall above the Green Grass Grocery, a Saint Paul Coop. At this meeting the CO laid out a radical, farmer and worker controlled, centralized structure to replace the Policy Review Board. The Policy Review Board refused this proposal. On May 5, 1975, 25 members of

704-428: A vendor that performs its own butchering, packaging, and labeling will not include a government inspection legend or a "distributed by/packed for" statement on the label. In such cases the vendor/butcher gets the carcass or other major cuts of meat from a government inspected slaughterhouse and does the secondary butchering ("fabrication"), packaging, and labeling in its own facility. A government official inspection legend

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768-418: A vendor's/rancher's livestock will not include the "distributed by/packed for/prepared for" statement. Note that the label will still have an official/government Inspection Legend that identifies the establishment that performed the slaughtering, butchering, packaging, and labeling because any product leaving a slaughterhouse to be sold for human consumption must have a government inspection legend. For example,

832-437: Is not required on a package of meat butchered and packaged by such a vendor because it is sold directly to the consumer. Most processed meat products (sausage, bacon, hot dogs, frankfurters, snack sticks) sold at farmers' markets have labels that include a "distributed by/packed for/etc." statement as well as a government inspection legend. The government inspection legend includes an establishment number (EST #) that identifies

896-516: Is the South Carolina State Farmers Market, which is a major supplier of watermelons , cantaloupes , and peaches for produce buyers in the north-eastern US. Farmers' markets also may supply buyers from produce stands, restaurants , and garden stores with fresh fruits and vegetables , plants, seedlings and nursery stock, honey , and other agricultural products. Although this is on the decline, in part due to

960-553: The AP stylebook , also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary ) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or outdoors and typically consist of booths, tables or stands where farmers sell their produce, live animals and plants , and sometimes prepared foods and beverages. Farmers' markets exist in many countries worldwide and reflect

1024-582: The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee . In early 1975, the CO published a series of papers that described their analysis of the Food Coop Movement. There was a history published that placed the co-op movement in the context of the post-WWII civil rights movement. A paper criticizing what it said was the food co-op movement's attitude towards profit and its effect on the growth and sustainability of

1088-612: The Twin Cities cooperative business community clashed, sometimes violently. A group of radical Marxist–Leninist cooperative member/workers known as the Co-operative Organization , or C.O., accused other cooperatives of adhering to bourgeois hippie ideals and ignoring the working class. After attempting and failing to take over the People's Warehouse (a distributor serving many of the cooperative businesses in

1152-587: The Bryant-Central Cooperative. While no one took responsibility for it, it was widely suspected that someone from the CO firebombed a coordinator's truck. They also briefly occupied and physically removed the workers of the Seward Cooperative on January 9 of that year. Alongside with these attacks, the CO maintained control in other co-ops where their members were the majority. In response to these incidents, food co-operatives in

1216-411: The CO marchers from entering. In 1976, a mob of North Country Cooperative's members, expelled its majority-CO board members for attempting to lift the co-operative’s embargo on the still CO-controlled People's Warehouse. After this event, at the nearby CO-controlled Powderhorn Food Community, a non-profit food store with an elected board, non-CO co-op members broke into Powderhorn Food Community, changed

1280-489: The CO, which included most of the People's Warehouse workers, and led by three women from Selby Coop in Saint Paul, entered the People's Warehouse using keys and retook it from a group that had occupied it earlier that night. The earlier occupiers had smoked marijuana and when they saw that CO members had wooden poles and metal pipes as weapons they left as soon as they could. There were no significant injuries inflicted, but

1344-467: The Seward Cafe, organized an effort to boycott the now-C.O.-controlled warehouse. Eventually, the warehouse was retaken through legal means, and the C.O. dwindled into apparent nonexistence, though rumors of their presence in the political underground persisted. The cooperative movement dwindled throughout the '80s, and by 1993 the Seward Cafe was one of only five worker-run cooperative businesses in

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1408-752: The Twin Cities region with their collective resources. Most co-ops maintained communication with others through the Public Review Board that worked through one of the biggest co-ops, the People's Warehouse in Minneapolis. In the early 1970s, most co-operatives stood by the initial goals of the cooperative movement, but as time went by, an ideological split emerged between those of the traditional decentralized and organic-focused co-ops and those in favor of revolutionary change. This faction believed that these food cooperatives should not only serve

1472-948: The Twin Cities, including the Hub Bicycle Co-op shops, the Hard Times Café , and the Matchbox coffee shop. Seward provided financial assistance to Hard Times in 2007 when circumstances conspired to shut down the Riverside diner. In 2020, following the closure of restaurants in Minneapolis due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Seward Cafe held a fundraiser through GoFundMe , raising over $ 36,000. 44°57′46″N 93°14′28″W  /  44.96278°N 93.24111°W  / 44.96278; -93.24111 Minnesota Food Cooperative Wars The Minnesota Food Cooperative Wars took place in 1975-1976 time period and revolved around

1536-446: The Twin Cities, run by representatives of various cooperatives) through negotiation at a board meeting, they simply walked into Warehouse offices and grabbed the checkbook and financial records. The C.O. then confronted their rivals at the Seward Cafe, announcing that "The People's Warehouse now belongs to The People!" Attempts to retake the warehouse resulted in physical confrontation, and cooperative businesses all around town, including

1600-400: The Twin Cities. (The total number of cooperative businesses was larger, around 20 or so, but the majority had more hierarchical management structures and were not worker-run). The cafe remained committed to its business model, however, and in 2004, collective member Tom Pierson helped organize a national conference of worker-run businesses. Seward Cafe is one of many worker-run cooperatives in

1664-527: The US, like those of any other beef/pork product that are sold to the public, must originate from livestock slaughtered in a government (federal or state) inspected slaughterhouse. Since government inspected slaughterhouses purchase livestock for slaughter, many often have the facilities, equipment, and personnel to supply meat products to distributors/wholesalers. Like restaurants, such arrangements are popular with farmers' market vendors because they allow them to avoid

1728-900: The United States and Canada have found shops in farmers markets selling fruits and vegetables not sourced from their own farms. In September 2017, a hidden camera investigation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation found that some of the stalls in one market purchased produce on the wholesale market and removed the original stickers, raising the cost to 50% above the retail prices. Tampa Bay Times food critic and investigative reporter Laura Reiley found some vendors at local farmers' markets selling rejected produce from local wholesale markets, or selling produce purchased from non-local sources. In some cases they claimed to sell products from their own farm at first, but when pressed admitted that they had grown none of

1792-487: The area began incorporating to ensure their property ownership could be verified by the police during occupations. The CO also launched a march of between 50 and 100 people against the Mill City Food Cooperative with intentions of taking over their business. The Mill City Food Cooperative met this march with approximately 200 of their own people who blockaded the storefront and were able to maintain

1856-484: The co-ops. The CO proposed that the Peoples Warehouse be managed by a "Workers Administration Committee" and that other committees (Farm, Purchasing, Production, Distribution and Food) be created to do the work and incorporate local and midwest coop stores in decision making. The dispute among the various members of the coop and worker-owned broke into the open in early May, 1975 when the CO members attended

1920-432: The commercial processing plant that made and packaged the products; similar to a package of sausage or bacon sold in supermarkets . Alternately, a processed meat product sold at a farmers' market that does not include a "distributed by/packed for/etc." statement and a government inspection legend is a product that is made and packaged by the selling vendor. There are also vendors that sell processed meat products that include

1984-516: The consumer experience, while abstracting it further from production and from production's growing complexities. Modern industrial food production's advantages over prior methods depend largely on modern, cheap, fast transport and limited product variability. But transport costs and delays cannot be eliminated. So where distance strained industrial suppliers' reach, where consumers had strong preference for local variety, farmers' markets remained competitive with other forms of food retail. Starting in

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2048-557: The cost of land, buildings, lighting and air-conditioning is also reduced or eliminated. Farmers may also retain profit on produce not sold to consumers, by selling the excess to canneries and other food-processing firms. At the market, farmers can retain the full premium for part of their produce, instead of only a processor's wholesale price for the entire lot. However, other economists say "there are relatively few benefits in terms of energy efficiency, quality or cost ... fun though they are, are not good economic models." Some farmers prefer

2112-494: The displaced occupiers felt violently intimidated. The event was made even more controversial when the notably-anarchist Policy Review Board contacted the police and tried to sue the CO over building ownership. Some surrounding food cooperatives were in favor of this change and continued to do business and align with the CO’s main objectives while others boycotted and found other ways in which to transport and sell their product. Following

2176-429: The early 1980s, Minnesota's food cooperative scene had begun to recede. People who were not as involved, such as the everyday citizens of Minneapolis and the surrounding areas, were scared away, and the wars have negatively stigmatized food co-operatives for some older twin-cities residents. The damage done by the wars, in public image, drove many cooperative members to trend away from taking part in political activity in

2240-414: The farmers' markets, a wide variety of products are available. Poultry, lamb, goat, eggs, milk, cream, ice cream, butter, cheese , honey, syrup, jams, jellies, sauces, mushrooms, flowers, wool, wine, beer, breads, and pastries are some examples of vendor produced products sold at farmers' markets. Many farmers' markets allow vendors to prepare and sell ready to eat foods and drinks. Some investigations in

2304-479: The farming practices by which food is produced, processed and the health and safety aspects of certain foods. The emergence of books, magazine articles, and cookery and gardening programmes influence consumer concern of food preparation and consumption. Due in part to the increased interest in healthier foods, a greater desire to preserve local cultivars or livestock (some of which may not be up to commercial shipping or yield standards) and an increased understanding of

2368-1536: The federal programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children , the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program , and the Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program . The programs primarily subsidize purchases at farmers' markets by low-income residents. Examples include Austin's Double Dollar Incentive Program, Boston's Bounty Bucks, Chicago's LINK Up, Columbia Heights Festibucks in Washington, D.C., Fresh Checks in East Palo Alto, Market Match in Los Angeles, Michigan's Double Up Food Bucks, New York City's Health Bucks, Portland Fresh Exchange, and Seattle Fresh Bucks. These programs often rely in part on nonprofit support. A wide range of organizations initiate, organize, and manage farmers' markets, including farmers' groups, community groups, local governments, etc. Some markets are strictly managed, with rules for pricing, quality and vendor selection. Others are much more relaxed in their operations and vendor criteria. While

2432-453: The food safety crisis. These farmers' markets (农夫市集) provide venues for local small ecological farmers to sell their produce within the city, catering urban middle-class's growing demand for high quality food. Many of these market vendors are operating community-supported agriculture . The EU has formalized efforts to expand farmers' markets to reduce food safety risks and poor nutrition through programs known as "Farm to Fork". Farm-to-fork

2496-450: The growing season. In either case, consumers risk losing their money if there is a crop failure. Among the benefits often touted for communities with farmers' markets: Reduced transport, storage, and refrigeration can benefit communities too: Farmers' markets may also contribute to innovative distribution means that strengthen civic engagement by reducing the social distances between urban and rural communities. With fewer intermediaries,

2560-441: The growth of chain stores that desire national distribution networks and cheap wholesales prices—prices driven down by the low cost of imported produce. A wide variety of beef and pork products are sold at farmers' markets in the United States. Typical beef products include steaks, ground beef, jerky, and various types of beef sausage. Typical pork products include sausage and bacon. Beef and pork products sold at farmers' market in

2624-541: The importance of maintaining small, sustainable farms on the fringe of urban environments, farmers' markets in the US have grown from 1,755 in 1994 to 4,385 in 2006, to 5,274 in 2009, to 8,144 in 2013. In New York City , there are 107 farmers' markets in operation. In the Los Angeles area, 88 farmers' markets exist, many of which support Hispanic and Asian fare. In the U.S., all levels of government have provided funding to farmers' markets, for instance, through

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2688-470: The local company's branding on the packaging, but are actually produced at co-packer plants with non-local ingredients. In the United States, the FDA requires that the manufacturer's name and address be listed on the food label, which can reveal this discrepancy. Food safety regulations often carve out exceptions for farmers' markets. In the United States, for example, if the produce does not cross state lines it

2752-450: The local culture and economy. The size of the market may be just a few stalls or it may be as large as several city blocks. Due to their nature, they tend to be less rigidly regulated than retail produce shops. They are distinguished from public markets , which are generally housed in permanent structures, open year-round, and offer a variety of non-farmer/non-producer vendors, packaged foods and non-food products. The current concept of

2816-532: The locks, and installed a new cash register, and used it to buy as much of the store's products as possible, thereby draining the bank account. In the summer of 1976, the biggest food cooperative, People’s Warehouse was restored back to its original order with the Policy Review Board regaining full control through winning a significant court action. Following this loss, the CO still maintained power in some cooperatives, but made no further attempts to expand their revolutionary efforts by taking over new co-operatives. By

2880-666: The many food cooperatives in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota . Initially, the disputes and confrontations within the Twin Cities Cooperative movement were not referred to as "Wars", but the nomenclature developed in part as a result of the title of a documentary made decades later. Despite the usage of the term "coop", most Twin Cities coops were not organized as consumer or producer cooperatives. Some were worker collectives and others were non-profit organizations. The local counter-culture food cooperative movement

2944-522: The market's management. The term " local " is defined by the farmers' market and usually represents products grown within a given radius measured in miles or kilometers. Many farmers' markets state that they are "producer only" markets, and that their vendors grow all products sold. Some farmers' markets do not use the term "producer only" and may allow resellers of produce, fruit, and other food products. Some farmers' markets allow vendors to resell vegetables and fruits if they are not available locally due to

3008-484: The meat may come from the livestock of other farmers/ranchers or a corporate feedlot . The presence of a government inspection legend identifies a meat product that was not processed and packed by the selling vendor. Meat products prepared and packed by the selling vendor or butcher will not include a government seal, and will not include any type of statement that classifies the vendor as a reseller/distributor. The labels on retail beef and pork products that originate

3072-476: The mid-2000s, consumer demand for foods that are fresher (spend less time in transit) and for foods with more variety—has led to growth of farmers' markets as a food-retailing mechanism. Farmers' markets can offer farmers increased profit over selling to wholesalers, food processors, or large grocery firms. By selling directly to consumers, produce often needs less transport, less handling, less refrigeration and less time in storage. By selling in an outdoor market,

3136-414: The overhead (knowledge, skills, equipment, supplies, maintenance, food safety inspections, packaging, labeling, etc.) required to produce their own products. A wholesale package of processed meat will bear a label that has a government inspection legend. The inspection legend will usually have an Establishment Number (EST #) that identifies the processing plant that made and packaged the product. Additionally,

3200-428: The overhead costs (facility, equipment, knowledge, maintenance, food safety inspections, etc.) associated with producing meat products that may be legally sold to the public. Resell vendors are in the majority at farmers' markets while vendors that make and package their own meat products represent a very small percentage. Reselling allows vendors to minimize investment and overhead costs by purchasing their products from

3264-489: The package will contain a phrase similar to "distributed by: Steve's Family Meat Company" or "packed/prepared for Steve's Family Meat Company" somewhere on the label. Both the producer (identified by the EST. # in the inspection legend) and distributor/reseller (for example Steve's Family Meat Company) will be identified on the label. A product label of a farmers' market vendor that makes and packages its own product will not include

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3328-515: The producer: All vegetables and fruits have unique names that distinguish them from any other, whether they are for commercial use, for home gardening, or heirloom . A number or alphanumeric string usually identifies the newer commercial varieties. Vendors' employees might not always know the variety names of the produce they are selling but they will be able to get a list from their employer (producer). There are vendors that violate rules by reselling products at Producer Only markets. Depending on

3392-584: The products for sale. In at least one case, despite vendor claims to the contrary, the farm in question was not growing any food, and the produce was all purchased from other companies. Fraud may sometimes be obvious because the type of food being sold does not grow locally or is out of season. Federal regulations in the United States require country of origin labeling for produce at supermarkets but not for small independent vendors. The Tampa Bay Times also found that packaged foods, such as sauces, honey, jam, and beef jerky may appear to be from local vendors due to

3456-545: The range of their shopper demographic. They worked in the Beanery Coop on Lyndale Avenue in Minneapolis. They invited the neighborhood to participate in food selection. They published a manifesto explaining their criticisms of the existing co-op movement. This side eventually became known as the Coop Organization or the CO. Their model of organizing was heavily influenced by James Forman and groups such as

3520-473: The region. Many former CO members now see the organization as having been a cult. Neither side in the co-op wars were able to realize their vision of a revolutionary co-op fed working class, or a natural food based massive distribution network. Despite the difficulties faced by the movement, Minnesota still has more food cooperatives than almost any other state in the United States. Farmers%27 market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to

3584-431: The simplicity, immediacy, transparency and independence of selling direct to consumers. One method noted by the special interest group Food Empowerment Project promotes community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs). In this scheme, consumers pay farms seasonally or monthly to receive weekly or biweekly boxes of produce. Alternatively, they may be required to pay for an entire season's worth of produce in advance of

3648-746: The support of independent growers by local community members can enhance local economic opportunities and health & wellness in poor communities. Some consumers may favor farmers' markets for the perceived: Evidence seems to show that overall prices at a typical farmers' market are lower than prices at a supermarket because the process of production is more concise; there is less distance to travel, and fewer middlemen. The traditional public markets in Chinese cities are known as " wet markets " (菜市场) where most vendors are resellers. The Chinese government has attempted to transform these traditional markets to supermarkets in urban renovation projects. It has led to

3712-401: The takeover of the People's Warehouse, the CO attempted to occupy the nearby North Country food co-operative as well, but the attempt fell through due to the leaking of the plan beforehand by a CO defector. This led to the police arriving at the scene at the time of the attempt, and the would-be occupiers were quickly dispersed. In early January 1976, the CO furthered their agenda by attacking

3776-426: The territorial seizure of some co-ops. The conflict began to fade out for various reasons during the summer of the following year. Many of the early counter-culture co-operatives had hopes of being able to offer a natural and inexpensive alternative to the grocery industry in a community-centered farmers' market economy. The members of various cooperatives also hoped to have the ability to feed most, if not all, of

3840-445: The time of the year. Vegetables, fruit, meat, and other products resold at farmers' markets are available to vendors through food distributors . This is a common practice and provides consumers with produce and fruit that are unavailable at certain times of the year. In many markets resell items are a permanent part of the vendor's inventory. There are four subject areas that consumers tend to consider when purchasing food directly from

3904-583: The usual emphasis is on locally grown food products, some farmers' markets allow co-ops and purveyors, or allow farmers to purchase some products to resell. There have been recent reports of fraud and products mislabeled as organic or locally grown when they are not. In some cases, fraudulent farmers' markets sell regular grocery store vegetables, passing them off as organic or locally grown, to which are usually sold to unsuspecting tourists. Some farmers' markets have wholesale operations, sometimes limited to specific days or hours. One such wholesale farmers' market

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3968-426: The working class community, but that the food coops should be a force to unite the working class against the capitalist class. They emphasized that the cooperatives in their early working form were too decentralized and disunited. They also pushed for cheaper items of produce to be sold, such as margarine, white bread, and other items with some processed ingredients as to make the cooperatives more affordable and increase

4032-535: Was developed with three main goals within the EU: Since the first farmers' market was established in the UK in 1997, the number has grown to over 550 nationwide. A number of factors led to the rise of farmers' markets in the UK in the late 1990s, including the increasing knowledge of consumers, the struggles of British farmers, anti-French sentiment, and concerns over food safety and quality. Consumers were worried about

4096-666: Was started in 1970 by The People's Pantry, an establishment in the Cedar-Riverside People's Center that aimed to provide bulk-supplied "natural" foods to the surrounding community at wholesale prices. Coop Organization or CO expanded because their focus on centralized distribution and revolutionary political organizing appealed to leftist co-op workers who were frustrated with the marijuana smoking and casual attitude of their fellow counter-culture co-op workers. In 1975, polarization amongst different types of co-operatives led to vigorous competition, violent altercations, and

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