The biggest difference between expensive cuisine and average food is fresh, high-quality ingredients.

One of the best places in Greensboro for fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, home-baked products, all kinds of meat, and arts and crafts is the 135-year-old Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market, located on Yanceyville Street.

The Farmers’ Curb Market is open year round on Saturday from 6 a.m. to noon, and on Wednesdays from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. May through December.

A good portion of the fruits and vegetables at the average grocery store come from industrial farming, and even if these massive farms are “certified organic,” that does not mean the final product can be as good as a smaller scale farmer who is able to focus on producing quality.

Even adding a farm fresh tomato slice to a simple sandwich opens a world of flavor. And it is cheaper than going to a deli.

Currently the building the market is housed in is owned and operated by the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department, from whom the farmers rent out stalls to sell their wares.

The Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department decided to find an outside group to manage the market due to concerns that some vendors were not actually selling local produce. A new management team would ensure greater oversight, according to an article in the News & Record.

Three proposals for a for-profit model were heard, but a non-profit plan came away as the favorite. The contract winner will begin managing the Curb Market on July 1.

Of course, being involved with the government, there is bureaucracy to overcome and arguments to be had over money. The non-profit, Friends of the Greensboro Farmers’ Curb Market, raised $3,300, through fund-raising breakfasts and other donations, to improve the Curb market, but the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department has asked that the funds be returned to the city.

If the funds are returned, the money will be earmarked for the Curb Market. The FGFCM believe the money will not be properly reserved for market use because the money will go into the Parks Department’s general fund. The disagreement could go to court.

Maybe going ahead as a non-profit is the first step towards becoming a co-op where customers pay for the privilege to shop there or work there occasionally to ensure they eat the freshest and tastiest food. If the market becomes a non-profit, then the farmers will earn more money, and the farms will have the capital to grow more great produce. Ultimately, a community and farmer-run market would keep prices low without sacrificing quality.

It is good to get one more step closer to the farmer for quality. The farmer is going to ensure that whatever grown is the best it can be if it means more money in their pocket.

Farming is incredibly difficult. It takes constant vigilance to produce a bountiful harvest. So over the years, farmers have moved further behind the scenes as everyone shops at chain stores.

With all the competition from giant industrial farms, small-scale farmers need all the financial support they can find. A farmers’ market should not have middlemen and hangers-on. Meeting the person face-to-face who grew that particular blueberry is a unique experience that leads to confidence in what you are eating.

Sometimes the farm has to be far away because many of the best fruits require a specific climate. But if the foodstuff can be bought locally, why not buy that? Quality food is easily pushed aside in the fast-paced, Internet-driven time we find ourselves.

Since the Farmers’ Curb Market is only open once or twice a week, there are plenty of friendly regulars to meet, and all kinds of delicious food to enjoy, including everything from homemade New Orleans delicacies to Moroccan cuisine.

Even if you cannot prepare much food in your dorm room, the Farmers’ Curb Market is still a fun, different environment to spend a Saturday morning, eat lunch, or stock up on some hand fruit.