Micheline Maynard's fascinating piece today in the New York Times about the daily Benton Harbor, Michigan, truck market reveals so much about the state of local produce markets in America. We tend to romanticize farmers' markets in this country in the name of authenticity and honesty. We love the idea that we're buying fruits and vegetables from the very people who grew them, and that one-on-one interaction makes us feel we are nourishing our bodies and souls with each transaction. And we are. But as Maynard points out, many of the people buying produce at the daily market in Benton Harbor are farmers themselves: "By and large, the biggest customers at the cash market are other growers who buy for... More