Comments on: Should I Be Allowed To Eat Free Farmer’s Market Samples? Day 49: Eating Well On $1 A Day

By: roxie

roxie — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:02:56 +0000

Definitely a YES vote from me. Anyone who has a farmers market near them has the equal opportunity to glean samples, leftovers, etc. It is foraging, just as the lemons and blackberries are. And if you would happen to start gathering wild greens, that would be seasonal foraging as well. It is the thing ANY person determined to eat for little to no money could and would do.

By: Pax

Pax — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:01:55 +0000

The challenge is “eating well on $1 a day”, not “eating well on $1 a day ONLY USING COUPONS”.
I also notice new rule #4:
“4. I am allowed to forage for food and get food from alternative places than just regular retail outlets.”
Samples from Farmers Market is “food from alternative place”.

So you are not breaking any rules by eating samples form any place (farmers market or supermarkets).

The reason people put up samples has nothing to do with the challenge.

By: Katrina

Katrina — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 15:31:41 +0000

I voted yes on the samples, since foraging is allowed. If you can pick up beers on the side of the road and that is OK, i don’t see how this isn’t.

I also wondered if you eating at a friend’s house would be OK, since us normal people do that; BUT I think the caveat to that would be that you’d have to host some friends over another night.

By: Deedee

Deedee — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:24:55 +0000

Wow, the vendors at our farmers’ market don’t give samples. Lucky you.
I personally think it is tacky to take samples from vendors when you have no intention of purchasing anything. I think it is OK to take a sample (i.e. one strawberry) (IF OFFERED) and eat it right there to see if it is of the quality you wish to purchase.
I’m sorry – I’m a big fan of what you are doing, but when I saw that picture of your fruit salad I think you took WAY too many samples. And that’s not even all the fruit you took? I think you violated the spirit of the law of samples.
Oh well, maybe if I had to live on $1 a day I’d get over my ideas of social graces in a hurry!

By: Shara

Shara — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 17:44:22 +0000

I’m in the “yes, but…” camp.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 14:25:22 +0000

I should clarify my no vote. I think its ok to eat samples, but to be clear I don’t think it’s reasonable to set the expectation that a meal can be had – especially for a family of people. As long as its viewed as a snack, it might help set proper expectations for anyone anywhere. If it’s anything more, then I think it’s equated with getting a “meal” of free food from the food bank, which is against the rules (and perhaps why your sister doesn’t like the idea of “using” that option since it can be abused and set improper expectations for anyone anywhere).

By: Kellie

Kellie — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:42:11 +0000

I voted yes and I totally think it’s ok to take samples home with you too. If you were taking multiple samples from each vendor, then maybe that would be different. But the way I see it, if there are so many vendors offering samples that you can’t comfortably consume them all while you’re there, then by all means take them home. Often times you can buy produce at farmer’s markets much cheaper than in the supermarket, so really for someone doing this type of experiment going to the farmer’s market & sampling everything, checking out the prices, is really great research, because you might find some super deals on great food. And even if you were taking multiple samples from each vendor (provided they were ok with it) I still think it would fall under foraging.

By: jeffrey

jeffrey — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 07:06:56 +0000

@Beth

I’m not sure that me writing about the taste of the food would be a good thing. My palate challenged status definitely extends to my taste and since I basically didn’t care about what food tasted like before I started this (and I’m still not convinced that I ever really will to the extent that most people do), it may be better that I don’t comment. With that disclaimer now out in the open, I will try to give a bit more of my opinion about the taste of the meals in the future.

By: mmmdonuts

mmmdonuts — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:44:46 +0000

I voted yes because, really, aren’t we all trying to play the system to save money (and in your case help feed hungry people)? Companies offer coupons in order to profit by our buying their products – they don’t intend for us to play the system and get their products for free. Similarly, credit card companies offer credit and rewards for the purpose of getting us to borrow so they can profit from interest and fees. But we can play the system – borrow, pay within the grace period, collect our rewards – and never pay a cent of interest.

I also believe it’s fine to take samples home. As someone else commented above, free samples are a gift and so there should be no strings attached.

Now, if herds of foragers started hitting the farmers’ market, vendors might get concerned about losing product, and might have to police samples personally, or post a sign along the lines of “one sample per person please.” That would kind of spoil the friendly, down-home ambiance, so maybe you could decide this issue for yourself with the moral question: do you want to be part of a trend that caused something like that to happen?

Anyway, thank you so much for blogging this adventure. I finally have a glimmer of how this extreme couponing thing works! Your writing is entertaining and informative, and it’s been a lot of fun seeing your cooking skills improve, too.

By: Christina

Christina — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:30:43 +0000

I voted yes, but I, too think that you should only eat the samples while you are there. I don’t think that you should take samples home.

And @Alicia, at a restaurant, you pay for the meal you’re eating that you are given a takeout box for, I don’t think that these 2 things are really the same.

Keep up the good work! Can’t wait to read your post about the Father’s Day BBQ today!