The call to action, ultimately, Americans make their own food and physical activity choices at the individual (and family) level. In order for Americans to make healthy choices, however, they need to have opportunities to purchase and consume healthy foods and engage in physical activity. One way to do this is to ensure that all Americans have access to nutritious foods. Research has demonstrated that some Americans lack access to affordable nutritious foods. This lack of access makes it a challenge for many Americans to consume a diet consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. Thus, access may be related to overall disparities in health. In order for individuals and families to be able to make healthy lifestyle choices, they first need to be aware of and have access to those healthy choices. Access includes not only availability of these choices, but also affordability and safety. Acceptability of the choices is also important. The following strategies can be used to help ensure that all Americans have access to nutritious foods and opportunities for physical activity:

• Create local, State, and national-level strategic plans to achieve Dietary Guidelines and Physical Activity Guidelines recommendations among individuals, families, and communities.
• Recognize health disparities among subpopulations and ensure equitable access to safe and affordable healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity for all people.
• Expand access to grocery stores, farmers markets, and other outlets for healthy foods.
• Develop and expand safe, effective, and sustainable agriculture and aquaculture practices to ensure availability of recommended amounts of healthy foods to all segments of the population.

For a complete summary please see this link

Apples: At room temperature for up to seven days or refrigerated in a plastic bag if you won’t eat them that quickly.
Bananas: At room temperature, both ripe and unripe.
Grapefruit: At room temperature for one week or refrigerated for up to two or three weeks.
Peaches: At room temperature in a paper bag if unripe; remove from the bag when ripe and eat within a day or two.
Strawberries: Refrigerated for one to three days without washing.
Oranges: At room temperature for a day or two or refrigerated for up to one or two weeks.
Broccoli: Refrigerated for three to five days.
Carrots: Refrigerated, stored in a plastic bag with the green tops cut off.
Iceberg lettuce: Refrigerated in a plastic bag after rinsing and drying.
Tomatoes: At room temperature, out of direct sunlight — they quickly lose their taste if refrigerated.

Another important point mentioned in the article is the following regarding storing your produce in one bowl:

Don’t pile all your fruits and veggies together in one bowl — they can cause each other to spoil. “Keep quick-ripening vegetables away from foods like avocados, cantaloupe, tomatoes, pears, and apricots,” says Palinski. “These items emit ethylene, a gas that can cause nearby vegetables to spoil more quickly.” Most apples also emit this gas.

Do some research and buy a legal for trade price computing scale that can be certified by the state.  In most states it is a requirement.  However, sometimes due to budget restraints and manpower, merchants get the idea that they can get away with not purchasing a legal for trade scale.  Sometimes every now and then you hear comments from sellers of fruit and vegetables who sell produce at farmers markets, that they don’t worry about bending the rules of the State Weights and Measures Department.  The thought process basically being, “we are not a priority for the Department of Agriculture.”  Need proof, take a look at the article below

These digital produce scales are designed to offer all the functions your business needs, with great features like large, easy-to-use keys on a wipe-clean keypad, highly visible back-lit vendor and customer displays. The scales are easier to program as ever and many even include up to 100 Price Look-Up keys and 12 or so hot-shot keys for fast-moving items.

Actually, one of the biggest expenses you will have when you start selling at farmers’ markets is buying your legal for trade scale.  Farmers’ markets are a commercial venue and are, therefore, governed by the same regulations as any commercial establishment that buys and sells based on weight. In other words, if you charge your customer by weight, you must have a “certifiable scale”.

In most states, your Department of Agriculture will inspect and certify your produce scale for farmers markets. Regulation requires the scale be NTEP legal for trade and made for commercial use. A legal-for-trade produce scale will be marked with:

• Class III designation on the identification plate or seal.
• All scales must have an NTEP Cert of Conformance (CoC#)

Scales suitable for farmers’ markets will generally have a 0.05 lb, 0.01 pound or 0.02 lb increments with max capacities of 15, 30 or 60 lbs. Many low cost scales such as “office” scales or baby scales marked “Not Legal for Trade” are not acceptable for selling at farmers markets. We would be happy to provide you with a list of certifiable scales so you do not spend hundreds of dollars only to find you have an uncertifiable scale.

1. Does anyone know what/if there are regulations for what type of scale
     a produce vendor uses at farmers markets?
2. Do other farmers have their scales certified by a state
      Weights and Measures department?
3. Is digital better than an old mechanical hanging dial scale?

If you’re curious or new to the farmer’s market or produce stand business and need a legal for trade scale for weighing  apples, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, strawberries, squash and more; scroll down because we have answers to many of your questions.

First up regulations and certifications. Check with your state weights and measures standards department for the specific requirements (you should be able to find your state’s info here:  http://ts.nist.gov/WeightsAndMeasures/statedirectors.cfm) Many states require that you have a NTEP legal for trade scale that will  have a Certificate of conformance number (CoC#) somewhere on the scale. Many states will also want to check the scale and make sure it is weighing accurate. Once that check is done, they will put a sticker on your scale (certify it)  and make sure it is sealed so that you can not go inside the scale and change the settings without breaking the seal.

As recent as a few years ago, many thought that the mechanical dial scales were as good or better than the digital scales. That trend seems to be going away each year. Digital price computing scales calculate the price per pound and make weighing and charging your customers by the pound very easy. Almost all of these scales are being imported nowdays so the costs are very reasonable and the quality is generally better than it has ever been.  Many of these scales feature rechargeable battery power as well, making them useful in almost any environment.

30 lb farmers market scale

Farmer’s Markets across the country have come to love the Ohaus RE series digital price computing scale with 30 pound max capacity.  Ohaus RE15US Price Computing Scales are an attractive and low profile scale that meets most weighing needs for the cost conscious retailer. The Ohaus precision load cell gives superior reliability and complete accuracy with every use. Battery power makes the RE15US 30 lb. scale highly versatile and portable. Application areas include mobile businesses, fruits & vegetables, meats & cheese, delicatessens, confectionary, coffee & tea, portion control, and many more! The Ohaus RE15US is easy to install, easy to operate, easy to clean and requires minimum maintenance…everything you want in a retail price computing scale with 30 pound capacity. The Ohaus RE15US legal for trade scale is the ideal choice for almost all vegetable, fruit or seafood weighing applications, perfect for weighing produce like — strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes or even chocolate!

• High-grade polymer housing with removable stainless steel pan
• Large, easy-to-read backlit LCD displays
• Numeric, 32-key positive feedback membrane switch with key-press beeper
• Separate Tare and Zero function keys
• Unit price storage up to 100 PLU
• 24 preset memory keys for quick recall with customizable pull-out card
• Total price hold
• Pre-pack mode
• By-Count price computing function
• Fractional pricing
• Accumulation of total price
• Battery operation with Auto-shut off and Sleep mode power saving features
• NTEP approved 3,000d resolution