El Dorado cracking down on illegal vendors
El Dorado County officials are warning people not to buy produce from people selling it on the side of the road.
“We are seeing an influx of vendors from outside of the county,” said El Dorado County Agriculture Commissioner Charlene Carveth said in a statement. “In most instances, roadside dealers are not selling produce that is locally grown, or in compliance with basic local and state food safety requirements.”
A “Protect Local Growers Campaign” has been launched to combat the rogue vendors.
“The idea of the campaign is twofold,” Farm Bureau Executive Director Valerie Zentner said in a statement. “We want to educate the public about the risks of purchasing produce from illegal roadside vendors, and in doing so protect the law-abiding local growers in our community.”
Risks from roadside produce include consuming food that is not in compliance with safe handling, pesticide, refrigeration, packaging and labeling requirements, according to officials.
People may call the county hotline at (530) 642.4968 to report suspected illegal roadside vendors.
So, corporate farms are worried they might lose a fraction of a percent of sales to people just trying to scrape by so they swing their weight with local law enforcement/government officials to go after these people. What a joke.
Sounds like they want some sales tax.
That might play a role but I’m sure the pressure is coming from Corporate farms – “protect local growers” campaign? Wonder who’s behind that.
you support terrorism if you buy from these vendors
I buy Strawberries, Grapes, Peaches, Tomatoes from a guy who parks down on 4th Street near Mogul. He is obviously Mexican. However the product is coming from somewhere within a 100 miles of here, and he speaks English. I have no issue supporting him. Good product good price. Putting money in the local economy.
There is also a guy who has been selling produce from the side of the road in Truckee for the past 20? years. He lives here in Verdi, and heads to Cali Every Morning, to buy and then sell in Truckee. Solid bidness. Great Cherries right now.
But I will watch for the Evil road side vendors. Living in an area where a good portion of the fruit and produce is grown for the entire country, there is no reason to buy stuff grown out of country
I thought that El Dorado County was the bastion of no regulation free-market capitalism? What happened to that idea, Mr. McClintock? Corporate masters only want free business models for themselves, not for small business…
Dumbfounded?
the Government officials listed in this Article
Charlene Carveth = Democrat
Farm Bureau Executive Director Valerie Zentner = Democrat
What has this got to do with Mr. McClintock?
Nothing, apparently. Are free markets good or bad? Is regulation good or bad? Thank you for pointing out the party of the folks mentioned in the article. I didn’t mention party at all.
If Mr. McClintock supports the ideals of free-market capitalism and less government intrusion, I would have expected him to have an opinion on this matter. Is that really so hard to imagine? Perhaps he is still formulating his position.
Perhaps nobody from the factory farm conglomerate has informed Mr. McClintock exactly what his opinion is going to be.
Just go to the farmers market. Their is so no reason to buy from random vendors on the street. If they were a valid vendor they would vend at a market. This isn’t about corporate farming. If their produce is so good then why wouldnt they vend legitimately at a market? Their just trying to inform people.
Why can’t the El Dorado County officials ask the vendors for a license and/or State tax info?
If they don’t have one, get their State ID’s, issue a citation for illegally selling without a permit/license and boot them out.
They can be fined, and the city can collect.
On a lighter note, these are the same laws that prevent the neighborhood kids from Setting up a lemonade stand or people from having an informal Bake sale and selling some Brownies or Cupcakes at the local little league game.
Or the family off Hwy 50 from selling the Strawberries and Green beans they grew in the garden. And shut down the Food Co-op thing they had going in Truckee a couple years ago.
Just Sayin.
About 15 yrs. ago I was visiting a fellow Tahoe greenhouse vegetable gardener who had a problem with ant hills in his raised beds of zucchinis and tomatoes. He told me he solved this problem by pouring copious amounts of diazanon ant killer directly into these hills right next to his plant’s root systems. I know that he always had great looking crops and he shared his bounty with many friends and family….. I politely declined.
I try to buy from local smaller organic farms as much as I can.
how are the vegetable peddlers on the road side any different than the yard sales?