The Rudest Things People Do At Farmers Markets!

It’s farmers market season in Simcoe County and there are no shortages of stands out there offering up in-season fruits and veggies, eggs, baked foods, honey and more.

They also provide an opportunity to meet the people who grow or make your food — and a chance for you to accidentally annoy or offend them.

Heads up next time you visit a farmers market, here’s what not to do!

Haggling over prices! Stop it!

Shopping at the farmer's markets lets you purchase directly from the people responsible for your food. This unique experience makes some customers feel like they can ask for discounts or negotiate the price — something you wouldn’t consider doing at the grocery store.

Don’t take Photos!

At a busy farmers market, the visitor who blocks a pretty display just to take pics and selfies is costing those vendor sales, potentially!

Letting Children Run Wild!  This isn’t a playground!

Farmers' markets are a place for the whole family, but parents still need to keep an eye on their kids, just like they would anywhere else.  Vendor items are easily reachable to small kids who may end up opening up lip balms or touching or even breaking the eggs.

(I saw a kid on Sunday at No Frills punching the deli packages) 

Breaking Sampling Etiquette!

Having the chance to sample foods before you purchase is one of the perks of shopping at a market. But if you know you have no interest in buying something or it’s not going to be part of your shopping budget that week, you may want to reconsider before enjoying all the samples on offer.

Arriving Before Opening or After Close

Farmer's markets have set hours just like any retail store. When someone shows up early and asks to be sold to, that vendor has to stop what they are doing, find whatever that person is looking for or answer questions, and then also figure out how to promptly take payment. This can disrupt the setup process, which in turn may prevent vendors from attending to customers in a timely fashion once the market opens.