Olney Farmers Market Reverses Short-Lived Policy

Olney, Md - The Olney Farmers and Artists Market has reversed course on a produce policy that drew significant backlash from the community just days after it was announced.

Earlier this week, the market posted a message asking visitors not to handle vegetables without permission while at the market. The request prompted more than 100 comments from community members, many of whom questioned the reasoning behind the policy, pointed out that squeezing and thumping produce is how ripeness is determined, or stated that they would not be following the request.

The MoCo Show also criticized the policy, calling it “a blatantly biased restriction” that “alienates hermaphroditic plants and their allies” and arguing that it was “a farcical attempt to suppress sexually suggestive fruit and vegetables, turning what should be an afternoon filled with innuendo and self-conscious smiles into a controlled space with Handmaid's rules.”

On Friday, the market announced it was reversing its decision, posting: “We've reversed course. You may squeeze the melons unless a vendor requests otherwise." Montgomery Leek reached out to Olney Farmers and Artists Market, which provided additional context behind both the original decision and why it was ultimately changed.

The policy stemmed from an incident involving a vendor with a fresh crop of Daikon radishes. A man repeatedly held one of the enormous tubers at his waistline, tapped its surface, and made remarks about pickling it. The man was later seen cupping a pair of peaches in his palm while making remarks about their fuzz.

Daikon Radish (Photo: Sm faysal via Wikimedia Commons; cropped from original)

After recognizing the community’s pent-up frustration, however, the market decided to reverse the policy, much to vendors' relief. "We were on the edge of not coming," said a spokesperson for Cockeysville Cucumber Farm.