Farmers markets - without the farmer

The deserved success of farmers markets, which deliver the cornucopia of fresh locally grown produce we love so well, is straining many of the farmers. Time spent hawking veggies at the stand could be better spent tilling the field. In the case study of Southern California, some farmers markets are morphing into a grocery store-like model with staffed markets open daily, instead of weekly. In other cases, middlemen have stepped in to distribute the farm-fresh produce to supermarkets. And, if you still want to shake hands with your farmer, there's always the local community-supported farm, which offers pick-up service to those members who pay for a share of the season's harvest.