May I Have Some Water?

It's a simple question, an ancient question, but when someone asks it when I'm selling food at a farmers' market, I never have a good answer.

I don't sell bottled water. I think it's criminal that we use so many plastic bottles for water when we have perfectly respectable tap water available to us. Even if I didn't have an issue with the bottles, some of the market administrators have policies against selling items you haven't produced yourself. Even though they enforce these rules randomly and sporadically, it's just not worth it to me.

I could just serve some water in a cup and not charge for it. Restaurants do it, in fact, my restaurant does it. But there's a difference between simply turning on the tap at a restaurant, and hauling enough extra water to the market to pass it out to everyone who asks for it. At many of the markets I have to make choices about the best way to use the limited space I have in my truck and, even though it would be a lovely good will gesture to bring water to give away, I'm trying to run a business and it's just not feasible.

I'll certainly give away a cup of water if someone seems to be suffering from the heat. But in most cases folks can find bottled water within a block of the market if they truly want it. One wonderful market manager actually brings down cups and a cooler of water on hot days, so I can send folks down to the information table to get some if they really need it. But otherwise, it's just a conundrum, one which often leaves me feeling guilty and confused.