With cyclosporiasis cases on the rise across the country and in Tennessee, are Nashvillians changing their shopping habits?
Tennesseans in other parts of the state certainly are. In Knoxville, some restaurants have noticed a dip
in lettuce consumption, likely driven by U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports that iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms had tested positive for the bowel movement-inducing parasite. The FDA later said that test was a false positive.Nevertheless, Nashville's farmers market scene may provide some clues for where locals are turning to avoid risking exposure amid the ongoing national outbreak.
A steady stream of patrons typically isn’t an out of the ordinary sight on an average business day for any of the markets
stationed around Nashville. But as it turns out, more people are indeed showing up to at least two of them.
That’s according to Savannah Kunze, the social media manager for the Richland Park Farmers Market and East Nashville Farmers Market, both of which have drawn larger crowds than usual as Nashvillians seek lower-risk produce options.
At the Richland Park Farmers Market recently, Kunze said she’s been getting plenty of direct messages asking questions about just that.
“Local produce has less hands touching it from farm to table,” Kunze said. “Like a bagged salad is chopped and washed and packaged, so it’s just a much simpler process. We do get a lot of (direct messages) asking us about that.”
Kunze said she agrees with that sentiment. She said produce sold at farmers markets tends to pass through fewer hands and less processing.
She’s also been telling inquiring patrons that no matter what, they should still be following best food safety practices, including washing your vegetables and taking care not to cross-contaminate around raw meat.
“I think it feels safer to shop local, now more than ever,” Kunze said. “Simpler’s always going to be better. It just feels better, it nourishes you. Anything transported is always going to have more of a risk.”
The additional foot traffic’s paying off for individual vendors. Kunze said Cooper Creek Farm, one of the vendors at the Richland Park market, has reported an uptick in business as of late. The farm sells bagged salad greens, which she said have been selling out at the weekly market.
Nurisa Phillips, one of the farm’s co-owners, confirmed the business has seen higher traffic, more new faces and an increase in questions about organic certification.
Austin Hornbostel is the Metro reporter for The Tennessean. Have a question about local government you want an answer to? Reach him at ahornbostel@tennessean.com.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville farmers markets see more traffic amid cyclosporiasis surge
