Posted by Sara K. Franke '15
Farmers’ markets have become increasingly popular alternative spaces for the exchange of local food within large-scale capitalist structures. My research at the Saratoga Springs Farmers’ Market, in upstate New York, revealed how social interactions and economics coexists as notions for selling at the market. I also discovered how fruitful social interactions between consumers and producers at the farmers market are gateways for building bridges of trust, loyalty, and security for producers, which contribute to their experience of making a living.
My project had a strong focus on visual material. I took the images in this post during my fieldwork at the market, and the images demonstrate the social relationships that take place habitually in the space. I aimed to capture decisive moments that illustrate experiences of fulfillment and close interactions.