Potato Monopoly

A fellow church member with a family farm is being told that he can only sell his potatoes through Peak of the Market, which bills itself as a "grower-owned vegetable supplier". He says "Now they're telling me I can't even sell potatoes in a shack on my own property."

A few telling parts of a Winnipeg Free Press article:

Under Manitoba regulations, all potato farmers must sell their spuds through Peak of the Market, which charges a small levy in exchange for the ability to pool, brand and market their produce.

So the Manitoba government has apparently legislated mandatory cooperation with Peak of the Market. This sounds like another Canadian Wheat Board. The over-regulation of government becomes an unjustifiable restriction on the liberty of the free citizen.

"They told me nobody is allowed to sell potatoes unless they are a registered grower through Peak of the Market."

Great strategy: force them to register in order to sell food.

Peak of the Market is planning to come up with new regulations next year to formalize the way small producers sell to farmers' markets.

So who is coming up with regulations to restrict free trade of free citizens? A non-governmental, unelected, perhaps unaccountable organization?

Small producers and organic vegetable growers have no reason to be afraid of taking their product to Peak of the Market, added Debora Durnin-Richards, the acting director of boards, commissions and legislation for Manitoba's Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives.

Let me see if I understand this: the onus is on me to provide a reason why my freedom should not be restricted? Backwards. And I should like it because Durnin-Richards says so? Even if they back off such regulation or make an exception, I suppose I should thank the government for graciously allowing me to do what I should be free to do in the first place, right?

Farmers who want to grow on a small scale and cut out the middleman have no interest in vegetable marketing boards, added the spokeswoman for Winnipeg's largest farmers' market.

This stinks of government overreach, overregulation and unjustifiable restriction of the liberty of a citizen. It also does not look good on Peak of the Market, which likes to portray itself as friendly to local farmers.