At least one farmer, Laurie Spensley, was allegedly kicked out in July 1996 for complaining publicly about management. I complained about things she was doing. That's no true. And that is a bad situation. We have never had this situation before with any market.
Farmers tend to put their heads down and their butts up and keep right on working.
Spensley said she has filed complaints about her dismissal with the Los Angeles County Department of Agriculture and the state Department of Agriculture. In late 1995, the office of Los Angeles City Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg got into the picture. At Goldberg's urging, Smith agreed to a four- person advisory board, elected by the market vendors. That idea did not go over well with either management or the advisory board, however. At last report, those board members had not reported their results.