Story didn’t reflect realities of farming

We are concerned that your report of April 13, 2017, “City considers new operators for Peterborough Farmers’ Market after in-fighting between vendors over business practices,” depicted the overwhelming number of Ontario farmers who attend the Peterborough Farmer’s Market in a negative light.

A number of Ontario farmers have supported the PDFM for generations, some coming from as far away as Niagara on the Lake to bring the Peterborough community fresh Ontario grown produce. In referring to these farmers as “truckers” we believe your article did a great disservice to Ontario farmers and to the Peterborough public who have supported these farmers over generations.

Above all, your report seems not to understand the context of contemporary farming in Ontario.

There are many reasons why a farmer might “re-sell” produce at the PDFM. For example, they may be supplementing a crop lost to adverse weather conditions, whether an early frost or drought. They may have lost a key family member and are unable to fully harvest a crop. They may be helping a fellow farmer friend down the road to pay their mortgage. These are just some of the reasons that a farmer may buy produce from the Toronto Food Terminal or from a farmer friend. The thing to remember, though, is that produce sold at the Food Terminal is Ontario grown.

Finally, customers have the opportunity to speak directly to farmers every Saturday at the PDFM. We encourage our customers to speak to us and to learn more about what we do. We look forward to the continuing support of the Peterborough community for Ontario producers. It is a pity, though, that your newspaper hasn’t shown the same level of support. Tom Jones T&R Jones Family Farm Niagara-On-The-Lake