There are a precious few non-partisan barometers we can use to measure overall societal decline / demise. “Non-partisan” both within Sports and Politics…. Alas, one such barometer is screaming DANGER – DANGER – DANGER !!! 
The melting of glaciers/ or not…. visible aluminum at college football games…. twitter popularity of Kardashians…. etc. are all probably indicative of negative trends of various sorts. But certainly that fewer friends and neighbors are visiting the State Farmers’ Market is NOT A GOOD SIGN.
“It” has always been one of the very few places where everyone always seems in a good mood…. and civility one to another simply the universally understood order of the day.
The parking lot might contain warring bumper stickers and t-shirts reflect sports team allegiances but perusing produce and marigolds and preserves and peanuts and pumpkins simply lends itself to “please and thank yous” between all combinations of vendors and customers.
NOTE: Combined with that other story about “The Real Mayberry”, THIS is a helluva way to begin one’s day. Huh?
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State Farmers Market experiencing drop in attendance
Every month this year, the farmers market has seen attendance drop by tens of thousands of people,according to farmers market officials.
“Here in the last month or so it’s been kind of slow,” said Jeff Allen, who owns a farm in Johnston County. “I honestly think that a lot of it has to do with people one-stop shopping now.”
“We had less than a 50 percent peach crop and less than 50 percent apple crop, and we’re struggle to get rid of it,” said apple farmer, Tommy Core.
Monica Wood, a marketer of the farmers market, said she believes the construction from the nearby Fortify project could be affecting attendance.
“We get a lot of phone calls from folks asking about how to get here due to the construction,” Wood said.
A record 3.85 million people passed through the farmers market in 2013. About 100 venders are set up at the farmers market; the vendors said they typically see a spike in business before Thanksgiving.
Margaret Copeland, a regular famers market attendee from Roanoke Rapids, said some of the items available at the farmers market that are not available at regular grocery stores cannot be replaced.
“When grandmamas like me die off, they’re going to be hungry for all the things they had that are not available in a grocery store,” Copeland said.
