Best Local Produce*** (Miami, Tampa, Sarasota: real estate, home, buying)

[Student66]

Hi all:

Looking for recommendations for local produce markets that include organic produce. The local supermarkets, not that great, and, overpriced.

Thanks..

[ilikepizza]

I've been to this place a few times and its got a great selection
Bearss Groves | Over a century in Tampa, Florida

[EngGirl]

Night market of Hills. Ave is your best bet if you find someone to share produce with and don't mind going there during the night for best deals. Basically they sell in larger quantities to local restaurants and markets.

[ShekleKing]

Watch out around here - some of these clowns merchandising this produce as organic and/or locally grown are the biggest liars on the street.


Lots of these so-called "farmers' markets", small markets etc are nothing more than lowlife "re-sellers" of produce distributed by HUGE wholesalers based in Miami who actually IMPORT 90% of their produce from Central America, South America, Mexico, and SE Asia.


Most buyers also think they are buying "1st Quality" or top graded produce...in fact most buyers don't even know that produce has a grading "system".


Consumers at most of these places are getting lied to and ripped off. They don't have a clue what's going on in real time.


It's also worthy to note that Publix produce buyers DO NOT put this crap on the shelves of ANY store. It doesn't pass their own stringent requirements.


Buyer beware. All produce is not equal. The term "organic" is meaningless in actuality.






One of the biggest offenders that I've seen about produce is Detwiler's in Sarasota. Customer's are getting hosed daily. They get truckloads of some of this garbage from Miami WHOLESALERS almost daily.....fish too.

[KPB]

This place is off Hillsborough in Town n Country. Sweetwater Organic Farm | Building community from the ground up.

[GoodBeer]

Originally Posted by ShekleKing

Lots of these so-called "farmers' markets", small markets etc are nothing more than lowlife "re-sellers" of produce distributed by HUGE wholesalers based in Miami who actually IMPORT 90% of their produce from Central America, South America, Mexico, and SE Asia.

I second this.
People get all warm and fuzzy about "community markets" that show up in parks and public areas and think they're getting something special. Some of these markets offer local products from local artisans but most of the produce is conventional, low-grade, and imported, not local. Plus it rides around in a hot truck from market to market, getting handled and packed and unpacked from market to market.
You are buying some imported produce at Publix but at least it's top quality, climate controlled, and kept fresh on the shelves. I have worked in various capacities of Publix's supply chain and I can attest to the quality of their produce. The produce that doesn't make the quality cut for Publix gets sold for pennies on the dollar to resellers, who in turn sell it on roadside stands. Those $3 watermelons from the back of a pickup truck? Those grew in the same field as the $7 Publix watermelons but didn't meet the Publix standard and sold for $0.50 to a re-seller.
Some people don't mind low-grade produce. But many people want fresh, high-quality, local, organic produce and that's not what they're being sold.

There are also some farmers markets in Plant City that have fresh, locally produced fruits and vegetables.

[ShekleKing]

Well I DO know this: the weekend so-called "Farmer's Market" in Sarasota when they close down the streets in DT and in Lakewood Ranch, are TOTAL scams....very little is "organic" and pratcially EVERYTHING is second to low rate re-sold produce from bs wholesalers who couldn't or could not sell the crap to a reputable grocery retailer !


The SAME thing applies to the plants and scrubs/flowers....lousy crap in Sarasota Farmers' Market, Lakewood Ranch (especially,,,the home of scamsters and Real Estate Carnival Barkers), and the DT Bradenton Market.


How stupid can these buyers be ???????? well I guess, pretty freekin dumb

[froglipz]

Tampa Bay Times report: At Tampa Bay farm-to-table restaurants, you?re being fed fiction | Farm to Fable | Food | Tampa Bay Times

Farmers Markets : http://www.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/farmers-markets/