Los Angeles County officials recently cracked down on cheating at farmers markets.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the county has enlisted Ed Williams, deputy director of the county's Agricultural Commissioner's office, to investigate farmers selling produce they haven't grown.
A total of 19 farmers market vendors in the county were fined in 2013, including two that sell in Monrovia, the newspaper reported.
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Aoyama Farming was fined $401 for selling pluots not grown at the farm at Monrovia's farmers market July 26, according to the newspaper. The county was tipped off because the hybrid fruit was not listed on the certified producer's certificate.
C&J Farms' owners were fined $802 for selling yellow peaches and Thompson Seedless grapes not grown at their farm at the Monrovia farmers market July 19. What gave them away is that the yellow peaches had been commercially cleaned and were uniform in size, the newspaper reported. The grapes were out of season for the area where they were to have been grown.
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C&J Farms' owners were fined $802 for selling yellow peaches and Thompson Seedless grapes not grown at their farm at the Monrovia farmers market July 19. What gave them away is that the yellow peaches had been commercially cleaned and were uniform in size, the newspaper reported. The grapes were out of season for the area where they were to have been grown.
Click here to read more of the story.
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