The 5 Rudest Things People Do At The Farmers Market That Vendors Hate

Farmers markets are a wonderful place to buy in-season fruits and vegetables, eggs, bakery items, honey and more. They also provide an opportunity to meet the people who grow or make your food — and a chance for you to accidentally annoy or offend them.

Some customers may act differently at a farmers market than they would at a grocery store. Others might bring an attitude that can irritate vendors, or generally behave in a rude way.

HuffPost spoke to market managers, farmers and vendors about some frustrating things that customers do. Here are the five biggest offenses they encounter.

Haggling Over Prices

Shopping at the farmers markets lets you purchase directly from the people responsible for your food. This unique experience makes some customers feel like they can ask for discounts or negotiate the price — something you wouldn’t consider doing at the grocery store.

“All of the vendors at the markets either grow or handmake what they are selling; time, effort and money go into that. It is not a flea market,” said Erin Mann, the owner of Erin’s Elderberries and a board member of the Virginia Farmers Market Association. “By haggling a vendor on pricing for something they made with their bare hands, you are not only devaluing the item itself, but the person who spent their time doing it.”

“It’s upsetting when a customer, usually a tourist from another state, insists on negotiating a price for a wedge of cheese,” said Angela Miller, the founder and co-owner of Consider Bardwell Farm in Vermont. “Our cheeses are artisanal, handmade, cave-aged and very labor intensive. We try to price them fairly, commensurate with the quality and costs.”

Farmers markets aren’t a place to haggle or ask for discounts. “Would someone