By Collin Zehr ‘22
Whatever political affiliations you may associate yourself with, we can all agree on one thing: Farmer’s Markets.
An establishment that predates The United States of America by 46 years, farmer’s markets are an essential part of North American culture. The origins of the first farmer’s market is in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1730, city planners set aside a 120-square foot plot in the center of the city which gave birth to the Lancaster Central Market. Since its inception, farmer’s markets have spread across the north east to small towns and cities alike.
You might ask, “how could a farmer’s market ‘heal the divide’ we feel in our over politicised culture?” The answer is simple. Farmer’s markets are a place where people from all walks of life can come together to enjoy buying and selling artisan goods and fresh produce. Whether you are a business person in New York City, or a school teacher in a rural community, you can find the same joy and pleasure in perusing items being sold by local vendors.
Farmer’s markets are unique from most other ways of buying and selling. At a market, vendors sell their products directly to the customer and get to establish a face to face connection with someone they would probably never have come into contact with. In the electronic world we live in, run by social media addiction, people have become accustomed to meeting others through a screen. As more and more connections are being made online, dehumanization grows. With no in-person consequences to our actions, online arguments and bullying have become a passtime for many social media users. The way that social media algorithms are designed, individuals continue to see more and more things they agree with online, regardless of factual validity. Research has shown that mass shootings and hate crimes are possible extreme results of misinformation spread on social media, as well as the consequence of divisive attitudes and a feeling of disconnect. This has resulted in an inability to understand the legitimacy of arguments being made by someone who we disagree with. Not only are people missing facts, but the dehumanizing effects of social media eliminate any type of nuance or empathy in conversation, especially on political topics. In order to reverse these effects, face to face interaction must grow.
Farmer’s markets have a unique opportunity to encourage the direct interaction of people who might feel as if they have nothing in common. In my own experience, I have never been disappointed in the quality of items I have found at farmer’s markets, and I often have found items that I would not have thought of that have given me a lot of joy. One of the most magnetic features of farmer’s markets from a buyer’s perspective is the ability to meet the creator or cultivator of the products. When you get to look someone in the eye and discuss the process undergone to create their products, the buyer has an assurance that what they will receive will be high quality and worth whatever price they might pay. By establishing humanity in another person, we can better recognize their value.
Though this may not be the only method to unite a divided culture, farmer’s markets are a historically significant establishment that have the potential to act as a bridge that transcends political platforms. The ability to empathize with others is essential to redeem any hope of unity. Why not improve your empathy while partaking in the mutual benefit that accompanies the buying and selling processes of farmer’s markets?