Buying local produce - more costly

[tinapbeana]

And, the produce at your regular supermarket could be local as well.

Chances are good it's not. I say this b/c a local grocery chain here has a new ad campaign about how they're trying to bring more local produce in for buyers to choose from.

If you buy items with stickers (squash, apples, etc), the sticker usually has the place of origin. Typically it's Chile, California, etc. The health food store where I shop specifically notes on the sign where the produce originated, and none of it's local.

[mom-from-missouri]

As a farmer, I have some thoughts on this issue.

What you got from the farmers market--is it organic?? If so, then the farmer and his family have more time into their items--such as weeding their produce by hand instead of sprays to kill weeds, most likely also picked by hand as well. You would expect to pay more for a hand knit sweater than a machine one--same concept.

Thought 2. What price did that farmer have to pay to have his booth there?
The one here was $10 per Saturday last year. This year they want $50 each Saturday. A few counties over one of the farmers markets also takes a % of what the farmer takes in. If that is the case where you are going, I'd complain to the persons running the market. If they got enough complaints, maybe they would lower the cost for the farmers, which may also help lower the cost to you.

Last, with the increase in the cost of fuel, the farmers cost are going to go up. We have plowed, disced, and tilled, then brought it there.
A good part of what is at the grocery store is brought in from other countries where those people are paid a few cents an hour to work the farms by hand.

And, maybe you were just at an overpriced market. There are some around here that locals call "yuppie" markets--where city slickers come out and buy, just so they can say they were at a farmers market. They will pay about any price. Locals avoid those.

[cschin4]

Why don't the farmers get together and open their own market?

[disneysteve]

As a farmer, I have some thoughts on this issue.

Thanks for chiming in. You make some good points. What do you think about this?

At a local farm, we went to pick our own strawberries. They are not organically grown. The price charged for berries that we picked ourselves was still considerably more than the berries at our local supermarket that come from California (not a foreign country).

While I like exposing my daughter to the process and teaching her what is involved in producing the food that ends up on our table, it just seems wrong that we pay more to do the work ourselves than to pay someone else to do it for us.

[tinapbeana]

Steve, I'm tempted to say that your experience is a result of where you live. Around here, you can pick strawberries and pay around 8-10 dollars for a gallon (not to mention the ones that you might eat during the process, which is actually encouraged).

Is it possible the farm you went to had to go to take some relatively extreme measures to make sure the berries were ripe and ready to pick when you went? From what I understand strawberries specifically are very particular about climate and growing season, and here in the southeast you can only find them to pick for about a month, mid-April to mid-May. It would seem, based on growing zones, that when you went would be a bit early for strawberries in your area...

Plus, when it comes to 'pick your own', strawberries are the first thing that comes to everyone's mind. Perhaps you were paying for the popularity of the experience.

There are farms here that have 'pck your own' for squash, bell peppers, and the like throughout the summer. Maybe you would find more reasonable pricing for a less popular fruit or veggie, or one that was more forgiving in its growing season.

[disneysteve]

Steve, I'm tempted to say that your experience is a result of where you live.

It would seem, based on growing zones, that when you went would be a bit early for strawberries in your area...

Perhaps you were paying for the popularity of the experience.

All good points. I do live in a relatively high COL area, and the farm is in the same area. We might get better prices if we went picking farther from the metropolitan area.

As for season, I don't think that's an issue. This is strawberry season around here. This is when all the area places hold their annual strawberry festivals and picking season is always mid-May to mid-June. I don't think that is being artificially manipulated.

I agree that we are being charged for the experience, and again, I think that's probably somewhat based on location.

[cschin4]

Frugal people tend to get overinvolved in the "DIY" movement when in reality it often costs less in the long run to let someone else do it for you!

[mom-from-missouri]

We can't afford to

Why don't the farmers get together and open their own market?

No farmers markets in my county. The farmers all quit it because of the prices they had to payand the hassel to do it. For me to sell produce, I have to go the next county over (only 11 miles). Below is a breakdown of what our local state, county and (cities who "host" us) require:

Booth fee--cheapest is $35 for a weekday to $125 on a Saturday

County license from the health department of the county the produce is grown in $125

County vendor license from the county the produce booth owner/operator resides in $125

County license from the health department of the county the booth is located in $125


County license from the county the produce booth is located in $125

State sales tax ID or bond state, city and county taxes for $500

Food handler classes-3 classes total $90

You have to pay for the soil to be tested where the produce is grown. Those fees range depending on what the county is testing for that particular year. Tests start at $35

One of the counties (health department rule) here requires all produce to be packaged in new packing--meaning we have to buy new sacks. We can't hand tomatoes over in a used walmart bag or a cardboard beer flat

We also have to provide a tag or business card with each sale that describes where and how we can be reached (incase our produce has an issue)

So, I am out over $500 before I even start. Plus, the price I paid for the seed, fuel to plant it, time it took......

To sell it from a stand at my house would also require my home kitchen to be inspected--EVEN though the produce never comes into my kitchen.

What they have done, is shut down the small time farmers, the farm wives who want to make some extra cash, the teenager or 4H kid selling his corn or tomatoes.


So, those prices get passed on. In my county, the farmer has more loopholes to go thru the the grocerystore as far as the health department is concerned.

Why should I have to take a food handlers class?? It was stupid. I had to learn about keeping meat and potato salad on a buffet under refrigeration to sell corn on the cob???? I spent 30 minutes on the proper way to bus a table?? Just to sell green beans??

Its all politics. Talk to your farmers at the markets. See what they had to do and what they had to pay to get there.

By the way, we have land in 3 counties with gardens--so I have to pay these fees times 3.

Oh-had to pay $10 to have the water inspected too. Rural water I might add--so, shouldn't the rural water company be meeting their water safety requirements? Why test it again with my dollar to prove its still good.

[Daylily]

Thanks for the info mom-from-missouri. It was very enlightening.
I know that the people in my area pay fees to be part of the farmer's market but I wonder if they do all the other stuff too.
I know that the vendors here have to be prepared to accept food stamps. I don't know whether that causes them any extra $$ to be able to accept food stamps.

[mom-from-missouri]

Yes, to take food stamps, you have to be bonded. You basically have to be bonded anytime you take in money that is not all your money-so for any type of food stamps, taxes.... After so many years though in good standing, the state will reimburse/cancel your bond-so you get that back. But, they do not pay interest on it.

Friends who have their farm all in one county sell produce from their home. Their up front costs were $426. Also, they had to add a rider to their homeowners insurance incase one of their customers got hurt on their land. Add in the price of plants, seeds and planting them, they probably have to sell at least $700 or more to BREAK EVEN.

This is why you hear family farmers say they don't make any money. We don't. The big company farms make the money--such as the tyson chicken farms, the big pineapple farms, the big farms get invited in to communities and are given tax breaks, they get labor deals worked out with the state to employee jobless persons. We do it all ourselves or hire neighborhood kids.

[boomeyers]

Our local "high end" grocery store brags about how it uses the local farmers and actually pictures them in their ads.
We have some freestanding year round farmers markets that are absolutely fresh and astronomical!!
We do have a huge farmers market on the weekends in downtown St. Louis that I have never been too. I would cost more in gas than in savings! Costco has nice produce too!

[DebbieL]

Wow, I can't believe how expensive your farmer's markets can be. I'm in Canada, and my husband and I (we aren't farmers) sell our food (he's a chef) in a couple farmer's markets. We just paid for the whole summer of Saturdays (starting June 16 through the end of September) for just under $200 total. We also do a Sunday market right downtown in Victoria (we live in Victoria) and that one is about $33 per week. We've also had people who run the other markets trying to woo us to come there (they love our food, and it is unique). The lady told us we wouldn't have to book in advance and could just show up and it would only be $20 for a Saturday. We may skip our usual Saturday market a couple times this summer and try that one.

[PetMom]

The 'buy from
farmer's markets" is one of the top
tips for helping the environment. An
added plus , we are assured, is that these
are more often organic.

It is quite obvious that bananas being
sold at a farmer's market are not local
and purchasing this is not going to help
the environment.

There are obvious differences in farmer's markets
and just one more thing we have to be aware
financially. I think asking what their fees are
is a good to do (I was not aware of the fee
structures).

Maybe we will go back to the victory garden concept.

I have just opted out of purchasing fresh tomatoes,
I do buy the canned variety for cooking though. Only
a few months a year bought locally do we have the
'real' thing.

[click4credit]

If you look around then some markets can be cheaper than store prices. However, assuming things are a bit more expensive than the supermarkets at your local farmers market you have to look at a few more things than price alone. Things that may be factors to consider include -
* Quality of produce
* Freshness - may have been picked a few hours ago rather than days ago - will taste better and last longer (plus more nutrients)
* Environment - local produce has travelled less distance than many supermarket products that may come from 1000's of miles away creating C02 emissions and pollution in transport.
* Community support - supporting local producers helps keep money in the area which can help the general prosperity of the area.