Buying local produce - more costly

**tinapbeana** · 06-02-2007, 12:47 PM

Things are more expensive at my farmer's market as well (plus they carry more plants than veggies). That's why I head to a large local flea market (aka jockey lot aka street market).

A comparison of the prices I pay:

Item / Flea Market Price / Store Regular Price / Store Sale Price
Roma tomatoes / 89c a lb / 2.99 a lb / 1.29 a lb
Green peppers / 3 for a buck / 99c each / 2 for a buck
Avocados / 50c each / 1.50 each / 1 each
Reb onions / 3 for a buck / 1.59 a lb / 1.29 a lb

Even if I could find everything I buy at the grocery store on sale at the same time, I'm still saving money buying at the market. In fact, I just wrote a blog post about it. More importantly, the veggies I get there have always been fantastic. There is a huge assortment and a large quantity of say tomatoes to pick from (versus the little bin at my grocery store). Perhaps most important is the market veggies aren't as SCARY as the grocery store veggies (see my blog post Creepy Mutant Tomatoes for an example of grocery produce that's lasted 7 weeks).

Another option is to try a road-side stand rather than the higher profile farmer's market.

**SnoopyCool** · 06-03-2007, 10:22 AM

I've noticed a price hike at our farmer's market, too. I was so disappointed because we used to be able to buy bananas in a 40# box for $15, but now they only sell them for 6 (bananas) for a dollar. That's not cheap.

But there are certainly other things that are cheaper at the market than at the store, so we go.

**jodi** · 06-03-2007, 06:03 PM

Actually, things here are cheaper at the farmer's market than the store - quite possibly though because we live in an agricultural/rural area (I'm guessing more so than NJ?). Everyone is local. I'm sure everyplace is different.
When it is more expensive the shop the market, I guess you just have to determine if the quality is that much better to justify the price.

**disneysteve** · 06-04-2007, 04:36 AM

Originally posted by jodi View Post

Actually, things here are cheaper at the farmer's market than the store - quite possibly though because we live in an agricultural/rural area (I'm guessing more so than NJ?). Everyone is local. I'm sure everyplace is different.

My daughter and I went strawberry picking on Thursday, so we were at the farm in the fields on our knees picking them fresh from the plants. We paid more for those strawberries than we would have paid at the local supermarket. Something is wrong with that. And no, I don't think they were any better than the ones imported from California.

**Fern** · 06-05-2007, 12:13 PM

Supporting your local farmer is not the only benefit you gain from buying produce locally.

* Despite what someone here said about the strawberries, locally grown produce generally tastes better becus it hasn't been sitting around during transport for weeks

* Becus locally grown produce is fresher, it's also better for you as it retains more of its nutrients

* you're helping cut down on air pollution as your produce isn't arriving from California, Mexico, etc.

**getforfree** · 06-06-2007, 07:13 AM

I noticed, bananas are usually cheaper at the supermarket than farmers market. If we ever go to farmers market, we try to go Sunday afternoon, when it's almost time to close, the produce is cheaper. Because the market is open only Fri-Sun, if they don't sell it on Sunday, it might be no good almost a week later, so they just sell it for cheap, and I use it.

**disneysteve** · 06-06-2007, 07:48 AM

Originally posted by getforfree View Post

I noticed, bananas are usually cheaper at the supermarket than farmers market.

I wonder if this is because of the supply chain. Your local farmer isn't growing bananas (unless they are being grown in a hothouse or you happen to live in Costa Rica). So they are probably buying them from distributors to resell, but the supermarket probably has better buying power and gets a better price.

**Fern** · 06-06-2007, 08:09 AM

yeah, i was gonna say the same thing...why would a local farmer try to sell bananas which are obviously not locally grown? That tells me he cares most about making money....hmm...

**disneysteve** · 06-06-2007, 08:51 AM

Originally posted by Fern View Post

That tells me he cares most about making money....hmm...

I think there are different levels of farmer's markets, at least in my area. There are stands that are literally on the farm where they sell whatever they happen to be growing at the time and they are only open for business during growing season.

Then there are places that are more of a general produce market. They stock locally grown stuff when possible but also sell items that aren't local, like bananas, so that customers can have one-stop shopping for their fruits and vegetables.

**vsjhoc** · 06-06-2007, 11:47 AM

Originally posted by disneysteve View Post

I wonder if this is because of the supply chain. Your local farmer isn't growing bananas (unless they are being grown in a hothouse or you happen to live in Costa Rica). So they are probably buying them from distributors to resell, but the supermarket probably has better buying power and gets a better price.

I have heard of "local farmers" buying produce at the supermarket and then selling it at road side stands as if it were locally grown.

**Saving in So Cal** · 06-08-2007, 11:52 AM

I'm an so glad you bought this up. Everytime I read an article on saving money on groceries, the article recommends purchasing produce at Farmer's Markets to save money. Here in California, Farmer's Markets are definitely more expensive on most items than the grocery store. Granted, the quality is usually better and I don't mind paying for quality produce. (The produce available for consumers to purchase in California is not particularly good. I've been told many times that the good stuff gets shipped elsewhere.) So while I think there are benefits to shopping at Farmer's Markets, it is not necessarily cheaper.

**Gruntina** · 06-08-2007, 01:44 PM

I worry sometimes that if we do not somehow show any demands from local farmers as these ideas comes to my mind but its more of a guess and not facts:

Farmers can no longer afford to keep their land, it gets bought for housing developments

Local produce demands gets too low, good and "real" tasting produce becomes a luxury in the future when we might have to eat a lot of fake foods. What if real produce start getting extinct like endangered animals? I know ... probably exaggerating but a lot of people did not realize that there are hardly any flavors in their tomatoes from the super market until I bought it up. We adjust too easily to things like this before we are missing out on something good.

Prices of local grown produce will be high if the demands are low.

**disneysteve** · 06-08-2007, 02:19 PM

Originally posted by Gruntina View Post

Prices of local grown produce will be high if the demands are low.

This is a catch-22 though. More people would buy local produce if it was cheaper, but it isn't cheaper because not enough people buy it.

Local strawberries are $4.50/quart. At the supermarket, they are $3.00/quart. That's a big difference. And the cheaper ones are paying transportation, packaging and marketing fees that the local guys aren't, and they are still 30% cheaper. I also think the supermarket ones are of equal or better quality than the local ones.

As I said, I'd be happy to support the local farmers, but not with that big a price difference.

**cschin4** · 06-09-2007, 10:31 AM

I buy what I like for the best price. If the produce at the market tastes fine to me, I probably just buy it there because I don't have to make an extra trip, etc. And, I don't want to pick my own strawberries, etc. Maybe for "fun" as an activity, but otherwise I will pay a little more to have them already picked. Saves on the chiropractic bills!
As for "local". How do you really know the stuff is "local"? And, the produce at your regular supermarket could be local as well.

Buying local produce - more costly