Locally Grown Bananas?

I've always been aware that a lot of the produce sold at our local farmer's market may not actually be locally grown. I'm okay with this because usually it still has some semblance of being in season, and I'd like to imagine even if products are being resold, they are still somewhat local in origin, perhaps grown in a greenhouse. I had to stop and think the other weekend however, when one stand was offering bananas.

First of all, where could these bananas have come from? I don't believe that the operations at the local farmer's market operate on a large enough scale that they are buying bananas from a distributor. It seems more likely that they purchased the bananas at a grocery store and sell them with a mark up at the farmers market.

I suppose this system could be convenient for some. Maybe it makes it easier to buy all your groceries in one place. Perhaps it provides a little bit of variety for those who aren't as willing to try experimenting with whatever root vegetables are currently in season; a comfort food for those who were dragged along by an overzealous locavore. There are many roles a banana could play in a farmer's market, but for me it was only unsettling.

I started to doubt the origin of every product around. Is this maple syrup really local? How do I know that these carrots were grown in the area and not just picked up at a grocery store. While I realize that the bananas may have only been there as a way to make a few extra dollars, it seems like such an in your face contradiction to some of the values that are supposed to define the farmers market that it changed my whole perception. Was I really at a farmer's market, or was this just a communal area for local citizens to try to make a few dollars pedaling the tropical fruits of Price Chopper to unwitting Colgate parents?

When one shops at a farmer's market you are not only purchasing food, but you are consuming a certain ideal about the food you eat. Having the person who grew your potato hand it to you, is about as close to food production as its reasonable for many to get. Asking the farmers for cooking tips and making small talk about the weather this year are as much a part of the experience as the food that comes with it. When Farmer Brown brings bananas to the farmer's market, it lifts this veil. Suddenly all of the other appeals of shopping at a farmer's market are gone and its just an outdoor version of Price Chopper. Part of the appeal of buying local is the transparency of the entire process. While some operations still manage to maintain this, several do not. All I can do is wonder who is buying these bananas.