Do BywardMarket vendors sell produce that is inferior to grocery stores? [Food/Vendor]

2010 Aug 28
Is it just me, or are the Byward Market fruit and vegetable vendors often selling produce inferior to grocery stores???

I just bought a head of broccoli and some apples (which the vendor assured me were hard). The broccoli all turned yellow within less than 24 hours in my fridge and the apples were so soft, they could easily have been from the previous year's harvest.

This isn't the first time I buy crap from the Byward Market vendors. That's it for me... I will stick to stores from now on...

And why is it that all the vendors in the Montreal markets have all kinds of samples for their fruits while it is non-existent in Ottawa markets?? I know alot of the clientele in the Byward Market are tourists, but can they really get by relying on non-repeat customers?

2010 Aug 28
Welcome Ottawop What day did you buy your broccoli, and from which stand? Further, what was the variety of apples that you purchased? Were they Jersey Mac, or one of the Yellow/Green varieties?

I have never had a problem with Byward Market produce myself, but will admit I don't shop there very often. I think you're the first forum post I've seen who complains that the farmer's market products don't measure up to supermarket fare. Have you tried the other markets in town, such as Parkdale, or Landsdowne? I'd be interested to hear your experiences.

2010 Aug 28
I guess my question would be was it truly farmers market produce or was it one of the stands that don't get their produce locally. Correct me if I am wrong, but I still think many of the stands in the byward market are not selling local produce and sadly I have found it far from easy to tell. But, I would be very interested to know if it was truly local stuff or one of those other stands.

Cheers

2010 Aug 29
I can comment about a vendors melons at the Parkdle market that were horrible. I bought a watermelon and a green cantaloupe and I ended up throwing both away because they really had no taste. I bought a $2 watermelon at Loblaws and it was pretty good. I do not think it is hot enough in our area to grow good watermelons. The vendors should know this and not try to sell something of such quality. Shame on them.

2010 Aug 29
The city has a sign policy that can help guide shopping decisions at the two city-managed markets. I usually stick to those that sell 100% of their own produce (not resellers). I found some the quality very high this year due to the long, warm growing season we are blessed with this year. That said, my beef with the markets is that 1) only one variety per food type, 2) no regular supply of greens or herbs and 3) early start times with no customers and early finish times when people could shop. The city should solicit more feedback to find out what customers want from their farmers markets. Has anyone bought eggs from the vendor at the Byward?

2010 Aug 29
I think it depends on the vendor you're buying from in the markets and the grocery store you usually shop at. Comparing a local vendor to imported produce Loblaws is comparing apples to oranges. However, comparing local produce (eg. peaches) from Loblaws to resold peaches from Niagara is a bit more reasonable.

To be honest, I stick to 100% local produce in the market and when I buy produce in the grocery stores, I try to plan my meals around the season.

2010 Aug 29
great ad, talking about importing



2010 Aug 30
I agree with LWB that comparing locally grown produce to the grocery store produce is like comparing apples to oranges. I prefer to shop at the outdoor markets and I stick to produce that is grown locally. Also if you shop at the end of the day some of the produce may be picked over and not as good quality at what might be available first thing in the morning. Which is a bummer for those of us that work and can't get there until it's near closing.

arugula The egg vendor at the Byward Market is Bekings Farms eggs and they are definitely my favourite eggs. (BTW you can also get them at Aubrey's and Herb and Spice on Bank year round.)

2010 Aug 30
But at the end of the day you can also get some pretty amazing deals especially if you frequent one vendor and get to know them. Some of the deals I've gotten have been 1/4 regular price for produce that is every bit as good as full price. End of day / end of week is actually a strategy I employ regularly, unless it is something that can easily spoil during a hot day.

2010 Aug 31
My husband and I buy produce from the Byward market regularly. I hadn't noticed the sign policy, though; I'll have to watch out for that. With vegetables, I've found that it's usually best to buy from a stand that has a limited variety. Yesterday, I bought a huge head of broccoli from a stand that didn't seem to have much else. It's the best broccoli I've tasted in a long time. The trip before that, we got really good corn and onions--the corn stand was still there but I didn't see the same onions. There used to be really good lettuce but I haven't seen it recently. The good things come and go.

With fruits, I haven't had much luck apart from cherry tomatoes (so good!), although the berries and peaches I bought last time were ok.


2010 Aug 31
One item that is definitely higher quality in the market is the garlic. i bought a garlic braid the other day from a merchant at the byward market... $18 for about 12 heads of garlic. a little pricy, but it is just so much better and more potent than the stuff you find in stores.

2010 Aug 31
but, see, again it's a matter of sourcing. i agree with dasklown that garlic braids, grown by the vendors, are substantially better to imported garlic in the grocery stores. however, there are vendors in the market selling imported garlic too, in which case you may as well buy it at loblaws.

2010 Sep 1
Or you can go to JT market in Montreal and get a big basket of locally grown garlic for $5 - this is a yearly thread ....

2010 Sep 4
Just to clarify, the broccoli I bought was from a local vendor (I believe from Navan area) that sold only broccoli and cauliflower. The apples I bought were Jersey and Lobo. The Lobo were fairly hard. The others could easily be eaten by my dentured granny. I have not bought anything from the Parkdale market and only occasionally been to the Lansdowne market.

Over the years, I have frequently shopped for fresh produce in the Byward Market area, however, I've found the produce to be more reliable in the stores surrounding the street vendors. I've heard other people tell me that due to the substantial presence of summer tourist clientele, the vendors don't have to worry about produce quality. I find it hard to believe that tourists are buying enough produce to keep the vendors business successful.

Anyone have any answers as to why Ottawa market vendors don't have sample offerings like Montreal markets? Only reason I can think of is it would result in less fruits being sold ?

2010 Sep 7
There is a bit of a scandal going on on the Quebec side - it's made it to the radio and all . . . its seems that some of the roadside fruit and vegetable stands are actually reselling non-local produce. The local producers are complaining and they even did radio interviews . . .

Of course it's not illegal to buy produce and resell it, but when you buy from a roadside vegetable stand you kind of assume it's locally grown . . .

2010 Sep 7
I think it can happen anywhere...I bought some vegetables on HWY 17 near my cottage near Mattawa and when I asked if he grew them locally he said he brought them daily from southern ontario...they were fresh and good...just not local.