I visited the Dallas Farmers Market, but it was quite different from the 'farmers market' vibe I had expected.

I had imagined a market where farmers brought fresh vegetables and fruits in trucks to sell cheaply and fresh. However, when I actually went, it was a bit disappointing.

As soon as I entered the entrance, what caught my eye was not fresh fruits but T-shirts, hats, and children's books.

Although the market is called a farmers market, there were only a handful of booths selling actual agricultural products.

Seeing the price of the watermelon that barely caught my eye made me sigh. 15 dollars??

Why would I come here when I can buy it at HEB or Walmart? It's not like they are advertising it.

I have always thought that the advantage of a farmers market is that it is cheaper and fresher than a grocery store. Since farmers can lower prices directly without going through expensive rent or complicated distribution networks, isn't that the key?

However, the Dallas market did not feel like that at all.

In fact, it was more expensive than a regular grocery store, and instead of the 'sweat and honesty of local farmers,' it felt more like a 'souvenir market like an art fair.'

It's fine to go for a day trip to enjoy the atmosphere, but I definitely felt it was not a place to regularly shop.

The reason I think this is that I had previously helped a friend at a market in McKinney, where I saw people scooping wholesale fruits and vegetables packed in large boxes at dawn. Those boxes were items delivered wholesale by large trucks. These people would take what they bought wholesale and package it in small baskets as if it were "grown on our farm."

What was particularly shocking was the watermelon business. At wholesale, a watermelon branded 'Texas' was about 3 dollars, but instead of selling it whole, they cut it into four pieces and sold each piece for 5 to 8 dollars. This way, a single watermelon could be sold for over 20 dollars. From the consumer's perspective, they believe they are buying something "fresh and grown by local farmers," but in reality, more than half of it was just bought wholesale in boxes.

Of course, some did bring a little from their own farms.

For example, peppers or herbs were actually picked from the farm and sold. They would talk about the farm to build trust with consumers, while most of the rest was mixed with what they bought wholesale. It was literally a 'mix and match' business.

In the end, the real difference was whether it was 'organic' or not, but they didn't buy organic wholesale separately; they just brought in regular wholesale produce.

As a result, I concluded that it would be much better to shop in the organic section at Kroger or Whole Foods. Moreover, many of the items at the farmers market were often left in a hot parking lot for hours before being sold, raising doubts about their freshness.

The Dallas Farmers Market was not much different. It was nicely decorated, but there were few actual agricultural products, and the prices were absurdly high.

While it's not bad for enjoying the local atmosphere or people-watching, if you go expecting a 'proper market,' you will inevitably be disappointed. In fact, recalling my previous farmers market experiences, this place felt even more like an 'art fair.'

At 55 years old, after having this experience, I wondered if I was thinking too old-fashioned.

These days, it seems that farmers markets are changing from simply being a place for exchanging agricultural products to an 'experiential space.' It's a place to visit with friends, take photos, and enjoy buying handmade soaps or scented candles. Rather than a market to regularly shop at, it seems more like a 'nice place for a short Sunday afternoon stroll.'

In conclusion, the Dallas Farmers Market is fun to visit once to enjoy the atmosphere, but it's best not to expect it to be a place to shop.

For those of us who remember the original purpose of farmers markets, it may be disappointing, but if you think of it as a "local art fair," it can be a place to enjoy moderately.