A little while ago we noted a story about famers charging more for their produce at the farmer's market than what it can be purchased for in a grocery store. The article cited from Grub Street speculates that this is because restaurant demand is upping prices, but I'm more interested in finding out what the farmers themselves are thinking. Mike Madison, a long-term vendor at the Davis, CA Farmer's Market, has just written an excellent article on this very subject.
If you shop at a famers' market, you must read his thoughtful exploration into 'The Farmer's Dilemma.'
Mr. Madison's article, The Farmer's Dilemma: Setting a Price, was published in the Fall/Winter edition of Edible East Bay.
• Read the article online: The Farmer's Dilemma: Setting a Price
In it he explores the four ways a farmer can look at pricing his offerings at the market: The Just Price, The Business School Price, The Comparable-Income Price and The Fair-Trade Price. It's a fascinating look into the complex decisions and personal values a farmer must consider when setting their prices.
In reading this article, I starting to think about why I shop at farmers' markets. My reasons are fairly typical. I think. Like most people, I want to support my local economy and buy local food, and I find that for the most part the produce there is fresher and better tasting than most supermarket offerings. I also enjoy the experience of the market, the somewhat romantic notion of participating in a way of doing business that has been in place for millennia. I like to put my hard earned cash into the hands of someone directly involved in growing my food, from warm hand to warm hand. The way human beings have been buying food for the last 10,000 years or so.
To do this, I'm willing to pay a little more, although that's not always the case: sometimes the farmers' market is actually cheaper than the grocery store. What I don't want is to be ripped off, or have my 'romantic notions' of shopping at the farmers' market taken advantage of. If I wanted to participate in the Business School Price and Comparable Income Price kind of exchange, I would stay with the grocery store where I would be more likely to place my hard earned cash into a more distant corporate hand. I don't want that kind of exchange from my farmers' market experience.
That said, I guess I can't judge a farmer for wanting to make as much as a lawyer or a banker. They likely have kids to put through school and equipment loans to pay off and frankly, farming is just as risky as Wall Street, if not more so. (And it doesn't come with employer-paid health benefits or a pension plan either!) It's also important to note that sometimes prices are higher because the farmer is in start-up mode, paying off a land purchase, for example, or the enormous upfront cost of buying seed.
But given a choice, I would rather buy my farmers market goods from Mike Madison at The Fair Trade Price. Not because he's the cheapest, but because I get the impression he's at the market for some of the same reasons I am. And greed doesn't seem to be one of them.
Related: It's True! Farmers' Markets are Cheaper than Supermarkets
(Originally published November 2011)
(Image: Dana Velden)
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I've got to agree with you. I don't have a ton of money to throw around, but I believe in voting with your dollars, and I'd rather be putting into the hands who nourish my family. Local meat and poultry are really expensive, so we supplement other forms of protein and eat it less often. I also find that nothing goes to waste. When we get a quality product that may cost a bit more, we only buy what we need and make sure that it gets used before it goes bad.
grocery stores have some of the smallest profit margins of all business models, so while there are many, many reasons to prefer a farmer's market to a grocery store, the "unchecked greed" of the grocery store owner probably isn't one of them.
I like the idea that they're making a living wage, but I tried shopping exclusively at a farmer's market (in portland) for my fruit a couple of years ago. It only lasted about three weeks before I quit because I couldn't afford it. If it was a little more expensive than the store, that would be one thing, but it was way out of my range. I don't have a good answer for this situation because I'm sympathetic with both sides of the issue. Now I try to shop monthly at a grower's outlet, where they stock produce from local farmers. I think these are the things that aren't "perfect" enough to go to the regular store, but I love it because I can get large amounts of varieties I've never seen before.
I also feel very lucky to be a CSA member, because otherwise I'm sure we couldn't afford all of the organic veggies we eat.
It might be geography, living in the upper-Midwest, but farmers market prices are almost NEVER cheaper than grocery stores.
I understand that these farmers need to make a living. I want with my heart of hearts to support them and their endeavors.
But the reality of the situation is that I, like other commenters, simply cannot afford to eat those ingredients. I've been unemployed for months and my husband and I are living paycheck to paycheck. Target isn't hiring. Grocery stores aren't even hiring baggers. There's NOTHING out there.
So this debate is all well and good for people with enough established income to decide, but in truth it's money and privilege that will allow you to live a "sustainable, green" lifestyle, not good intentions.
its not money and privilege that allow you to live a 'sustainable, green lifestyle.' you have to make the choice to live that particular lifestyle. if you have time on your hands and you want to eat healthy food, start a garden. for me, the thing about the market is that i can talk to the person growing the food, and if im short on cash and long on hunger i can talk them into lowering their price or helping me out till money starts coming in. most farmers are in the same boat as all other poor folks. my grandmother still tells stories about going to her grocer for a 'food loan.' when times were tough shed get food to feed her kids and pay the grocer the next week when she got paid. just like the author of the article said, talk to your farmer; most times theyll do what they can because they can empathize.
I'm not sure why we expect those selling at a farmer's market to charge lower prices. Why shouldn't they earn as much money as they can for their labour and risk? Who among us would be willing to take a 50% paycut just because? There's all this romanticism associated with the farmer's market, but if they were selling cars or radios instead of organic food would we even be having this conversation? Why are farmers any different? If they price too high people won't buy (see above posts), but if they price too low they'll forego money they need to live on. Organic food IS more expensive. Food from small farms IS more expensive -- it's all about production and economy of scale. It's not like these people are driving around in BMWs and living the good life!
@PineTree:
They *could* charge less because they make a higher profit out of their produce because there's no middleman to take a cut, that's why.
sebnmg: Your point is taken. Thank you.
To be clear, though, I wasn't so much pointing to the grocery store owner's greed but that one will more likely find the Business School Price, and the thinking and values that come with it, in a supermarket experience. Of course, if your farmer is directly applying the Business School or Comparable Income Price, then you will find it in the Farmer's Market, too.
It's a complex issue, one that points to our culture at large and the tangled web of values, fair price, making a profit and sustainability on all levels. I don't think I'm alone in saying that I was drawn to the farmers' market in part because I wanted to find a more direct and meaningful way to purchase my food. And like I said in my post, it is disappointing to be taken advantage of for that.
The moral of this story is that while the market place is an ancient human endeavor, so is the saying 'buyer beware' -- even when you're handing over your hard earned dollars directly to the guy in overalls with dirt under his nails. Being an informed consumer is sometimes difficult these days, but it's our responsibility, and our power, to vote with our dollars.
I liked this article because it both informed me of the wolves in sheep's clothing and raised my hopes that there are still farmers like Mike Madison who are as much interested in fairness and responsibility as they are making a dollar. It is a difficult thing to balance, I'm sure, and I am all the more grateful to him for it.
Traditionally selling at the markets was a way for farmers to get cash because typically,even today,they don't have any.
If you live in an area with distinct growing seasons,like we have in Canada,when farmers take produce to market, time is taken away from farming.I pay kinda high for my farm fresh berries,it was only about late September when the prices caught up in the stores.My local farmers hves no produce left.My local super market is priced to high in winter.I have plenty prepared and stored.It is now worth far less than 1/4 the super market price.I get my savings for many months later because our seasons are very short.
I have noticed huge price discrepancies between markets and involving the same farms.I think the most densely populated areas yield higher profits for the seller.I have started driving out of the city and purchasing direct.Huge savings.Unfortunately, it has also involved buying larger amounts.That's ok for me because I can store it.Most people can't.
Speaking of buyer beware...watch out for the legions of people who buy from food terminals and then bring it to market for you.They are not farmers.They often sell 'organic'.If it's out of season locally,your local farmer probably didn't 'produce' it.
Don't make the mistake of thinking that having 'some time on your hands' will enable you to have enough time for a garden.I do 'gorilla urban' gardening all year round.It is very labour and time consuming.If you think otherwise....perhaps you've never tried it.i suspect you haven't.Be prepared to store it or throw it out.That what you produce when your hands are merely idle.I think that's sorta pointless for many people.
Great topic and some excellent food for thought.
This might just be my demographic, but I've found the prices at the farmer's market to be comparable, if not better, than the local market. If I want to get a barrel of apples for putting up, I'm way better off going to the farmer's market.
The only place this doesn't hold true is with meat, but the ranchers at my market aren't exactly peddling the same wares. At the Farmer's market, they're selling grass-fed, free-range meat that was killed an optimal amount of time ago, or they're selling exotics, like buffalo or geese. That's not what they're selling at Giant, so it's not apples to apples.
I'm sorry, but that article is NOT a thoughtful exploration. Supply and demand reduced to greed and gullibility? Understanding supply and demand is extraordinarily important for small farmers. Do they want to end up with rotting fruit because their price was too high? Or to sell out in ten minutes because they are practically giving it away?
I see two lessons here: one is that farmers are just like all business people: there are the good ones, and the greedy ones. Chat with them. Ask them outright what drives their prices. The other lesson here is that our government is not doing its job. Local organic farmers should be getting huge benefits from state and federal agencies instead of being charged up the wazoo to certify their farms.
When we look to the government to set up farming for the farmer,organic or not,we should keep in mind that all farmers should and can expect to be treated equally by their elected officials.Just as we non farmers do.What a farmer produces is their own personal choice.There many different certifications for farms.Not just the organic certification.All cost the farmer.Lacking moral character doesn't make a person any less a farmer.I would have a huge problem with my elected officials if they gave out benefits to one farmer and not another because someone who doesn't farm says so.That's not government for the people.It's special interest backdoor favouring.I doubt very much that any farmer would appreciate elected government like that.
Encouraging organic farming means main streaming organic farming.That will be done by the farmers themselves.We need only look at the deplorable conditions tobbacco farms were left with when government decided to get involved so the farmer didn't get it up the wazoo.Nothing good except the public's good health was encouraged by their actions.Farming is an unlikely way to get rich.Especially when so many non farmers are convinced they know how best to do it.
If the public honestly wanted organic we wouldn't need certification.They would understand why one farmer was organic and another wasn't.A look at the over packaging of most organic food I encounter regularly tells me certification is the least expense the are being foisted with.
Organic processed snake food?I see plenty of it in my friends homes and none at any farmers.
@ Emmi - aren't you greedy for wanting a lower price? If you are willing (however grudgingly) to pay $5 for strawberries, why should the farmer sell them to you for $2?
QUOTE: Organic food IS more expensive.
Um...no, not if it's local.
QUOTE: our government is not doing its job. Local organic farmers should be getting huge benefits from state and federal agencies instead of being charged up the wazoo to certify their farms
Government *interference* has hurt more farmers than it has helped. It is the govt that controls market prices - NOT the farmer. Govt subsidies result in tons of food being detroyed/wasted in surplus years when many are starving.
We wouldn't even be having this convo if the govt didn't overstep it's authority in the first place. Gone are the days when crops were rotated & chemicals were not a concern...when entire communities come to the aid of farmers when crops were in danger.
Why? because of the govt & it's over-regulation. It's wisdom to 'vote with your dollar' as someone mentioned. But don't stop there..
@Bens, maybe you should learn to read more carefully. Where did I demand a lower price? What I was referring to is bliking the consumer - getting a bonanza by unnecessarily inflating prices, and also by misleading consumers with other methods. Do you really think big industries are the only ones who greenwash? You sound very naiive.
@Hello123 - I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand your point. I was trying to make the point that farmers should get tax breaks so they could benefit from eco-friendly practices and so perhaps the consumer could enjoy lower prices while supporting local food. What special interests are you talking about?
@Discerning same problem as Ben - you seem inable to read. Don't you want the right farmers to benefit from government tax breaks? Or would you rather that money go towards bailing out a big bank?
@ Emmi
I support anything that helps farmers.I do not support the general public not understanding the specific certifications they are subsidizing farmers to obtain.We can lead horses to water,we can't make them drink.The general public tend to be sheeple at best or monkey see,monkey do when it comes to their perceptions of farming.That is special interest to my way of thinking and it very rarely helps farmers.Support from sheeple/ people/monkeys isn't going to come for the average farmer because they think all farmers should be grateful for their 'patronage'.People like that, see supporting farming as some type of purchasing power struggle played out at their local super markets.That's far from the reality of it.Don't even try to explain commodities to them!They don't care to listen or about the future of farming because they only support a certain kind of farmer.That won't make the kind of change you and I,Emmi,want for all farmers and farming.
There are some very shady practices and marketing in food production on scales large and small.All farmers,good or bad, are farming and valuable to us non farmers,at this point in time.We can't pick and choose one from the the other.I think the key for farming in the future is giving a hand up to them all.Help them to make change that in this present day would appear to be unattainable.We want 'green' farming....so,make it all farming 'green' as an investment into ourselves and the future.It will take tons of money for generations.I don't think that can be avoided for society or viable for the average farmer.I don't think farmers can continue to absorb the cost of modernization.Subsidies clearly aren't working because I see too many farms being abandoned to convince me otherwise.
Most of us will never farm.Even fewer who know how will decide they want to. I don't believe there is much choice between good and bad practices because we haven't, as a society, made clear enough what practices we support.Non farmers are having a far greater impact than they , thus far ,understand.The greatest impact they have made was devaluing all farming to begin with.The ecological fall out of our lack of due care has been making farming as a profession darn near unsustainable,on a personal level ,for all farmers.
We no longer have a agri/bartering society.Farmers have been feeling that lifestyle pinch for generations.Few people here in Canada can make a living only farming.Most are forced to work off the farm.It's an economic reality of the modern age.For the first time in history ,farmers are actually in society ,as employed members of society,in capacities that exclude their farming.They are well aware of their financial compensations from the farm versus practicing a non farming profession.Are we as consumers and voters equally informed?If we are....should we be seeking cheaper prices?I'd rather seek ways to keep them on their land providing my food for me.
ECO-FRIENDLY? Who are we supporting with our subsidized farming?Does that include all farmers or our own special interests?Eco-friendly and farming do not exactly go hand in hand.We know this already.Many people do not and don't care.I hear you Emmi,loud and clear.We want change for future generations and we understand we have to support farming all the way to do it.
Many people feel otherwise.They gripe about prices,yet demand eco friendly practices and certifications to reassure them they are buying responsibly.If they begrudge a farmer's pricing in their local market,I suspect they will most certainly begrudge a farmers getting subsidies.
The modern age has made farming a tough sell in all capacities.We haven't been an agriculturally based society for many generations.The average person hasn't a clue about farming except for information fed to them by special interest groups.Those groups can include farmers.Some good and some bad.I think society at large will have to change before farmers can realistically accommodate the demands we are making of them.
The 'right farmers' are who exactly?That's like saying only the 'right' kind of people can vote for the government you think should help the 'right kind' of farmer. I say this not as an insult to yourself.I think your right because here in Canada our government is trying to help farmers install equipment that is eco friendly.Solar power etc...the start ups are astronomically cost prohibitive for the average local farmer.I hope it works.I really do.
For me the issue is ....how do we modernize farming when we don't understand or respect farming as a profession?Personally,if I see one more Mc Mansion on ten acres of prime farming soil,I am going to pop a spazz.that type of property not being used as a farm should be taxed to the hilt to support the subsidies real farmers need to join the modern age.
Subsidies should be very specific so, that farmers can immediately understand what they are getting themselves into when they accept them.Rarely are they offered ,no strings attached ,for the farmer.That might have to be rectified by non farmers.I don't think they are up for it because they think if a farm is failing it's the farmers fault.Throw in non farmer moral judgements on the type of farming practiced and farming without corporate support just might be doomed.
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Hello123 first of all forgive me if I have typos, I am on the iPad. I agree with what you say. It is terribly sad here that strip malls and McMansions are replacing farms. I can only hope that our residents interests at farmers markets can help the farmers.
I think that many people are genuinely interested in knowing the truth about farming people do not want to spend their hard earned money on the wrong thing! Take heart, people do want to learn! But how do we get that message out when people are so busy?
I want small farmers to be treated equally, no special interests, and to be rewarded for doing the right thing. When we buy from local farmers, they tell us they do not use pesticides and we take their word for it. Should I be worried some are not telling the truth? I do not care about the certification , only that they are being honest with me.
There are native American practices such as mixed species crops that help the farmer and save them money too. I hope they adopt that.
I advocate for bartering and an agri society, I love that idea!! We try to grow a fewveggies in our garden ,it is not easy! It makes me appreciate our local farmers even more.
i live in san francisco, and the wonderful ferry market farmer's market definitely has a mark-up on the produce it sells. it could be that the gourmet location attracts people with more money, or it could be that the overhead of the farmers to pay for a spot is more expensive than other farmer's markets. i dont think it's the farmer's greed that is fueling the spike in price... and as someone with a limited income, i do want to be economical when purchasing food, no matter how much of an ecological/ sustainable/ keepin' it local kind of gal i want to be, i have to sustain myself.
I think people are forgetting to do the simple math. Consider just this one crop: Multiply 3.50 by the number of sweet potatoes a small local farmer grows in one 4-5 month growing season where they make their full years income. Now divide by the cost of land, employee wages, power, water, expensive equipment, vehicle maintenance, fuel, losses due to weather/disease/insects, building upkeep, not to mention farmers paying their own wage for a 12 hour work day and providing for their own family. Doesn't seem so crazy now, does it? You'll pay over $60+ for a haircut that requires far less effort, but you won't pay $3 for a sweet potato?
Unfortunately, my local Farmer's Market prices are not just higher than the same produce at Whole Foods Market, they are a LOT higher - about double. While I'm willing to pay a little extra for really fresh, local, etc. food, I can't afford to pay double. And sometimes it's even the exact same vendor - I bought some mushrooms one time from a particular vendor at the market, then saw the same vendor's mushrooms at the store (same day) for literally half the price. I really felt like I was just getting taken. I understand the store probably gets a better price because they are buying in bulk - but double? Really?
Regardless of the reasons for the prices, I just can't afford to pay that much more. I wish it were different. I love the atmosphere and idea of the Farmer's Market, but unless things change a little, it's just not financially feasible for me, especially when I'm *already* paying more for organic, sustainable products over the standard, commercial stuff.
And to Discerning - sorry, organic definitely DOES cost more, even for locally produced, at least here in the Houston area. Perhaps it's different where you live. Lucky you.
Wait, there are farmers markets that charge less that the grocery store? I must be digirl's neighbor, because our famers' market are well over Whole Foods prices. I still shop there because of the quality of the produce, but only for produce where I can taste a marked difference (like berries, stone fruit, and tomatoes).
I'm just sitting over here glowering jealously at those of you who have access to a farmer's market.
Farmer's market prices vary greatly within the same city depending on location. I spoke with one of the farmers at the markets I frequent last summer. He very openly admitted that he charged higher prices at the downtown touristy location than in our little, off the path neighborhood market. Several factors contributed to this. Getting downtown is more time consuming and difficult for them and that market charges vendors more for their space, so charging more helps make up for their lost time and the cost of the booth. Since most of the shoppers downtown are tourists or people who just happen upon the market, they are buying things on a whim and for the fun of it as opposed to doing their weekly shopping. This means that they're likely to splurge on a few unique items instead of arriving with a budget and planning out meals for the week. So, for example, the famers charged higher prices for 'novelty' items, like mini heirloom melons, gooseberries, or flowers. People in my neighborhood would simply skip these items unless the price was lowered. At the downtown location, there is a lot of foot traffic but a smaller percentage of people actually buying, so prices are a little higher overall to make the trip worth it. I don't think of it as being 'ripped off' at all, but rather of the farmer evaluating the realities of the situation and charging what he needs to. If I buy from the downtown location, I am paying more for the convenience of doing my shopping while I'm there.
Farmers aren't raking in the dough, so it's hardly an issue of greed to try to charge as much as they can... or do we really view the farmer as a self-sacriffical role destined to poverty so the masses can have cheap produce? Obviously enough people pay these higher prices or they wouldn't be in business. Whether they choose to pay them because they like the market experience, they want to support the farmer, or they think the produce is better doesn't really matter: they make the choice to spend their money that way because they find the reason valid.
I buy all my produce at the farmers markets here in Los Angeles, where we are blessed with many. Usually it's cheaper than at the grocery store, whether it's the Ralph's or Whole Foods.
Now it's true that the same farms will charge slightly different prices at different markets, which I take as a way for them to balance out the locations according to the demographics. The market closest to me serves a poorer population and is cheaper, whereas you can see movie stars shopping at the Hollywood one, and I'm not speaking about the Santa Monica one where all the famous chefs get their supplies.
So if the same farm charges more the rich folks and less the poor ones, I think it ends up even in the karmic scale.
As for produce being cheaper at supermarkets, it can be the case, but it's often really terrible quality. So, I don't know, I'd rather buy less tomatoes that taste fantastic at the farmers market than a big bunch that will taste like mushy soap at the grocery store.
And, I don't know, but when I buy radishes, chard or kale at the farmers market here, they cost far less than at the store, same with fresh herbs.
I think the only thing that are truly cheaper at the store are onions and potatoes, and possibly carrots. So, all in all, farmers market are almost the same as grocery store price wise, at least here in LA. Just make sure you buy things that are in season.
I shop at the Farmer's Market for a variety of reasons, but the most important one is nutrition. Food that is grown on properly-nurtured soil, harvested when fully ripe, and sold very shortly thereafter is more nutritious (and tastes so much better!) than food raised on petrochemical fertilizers, harvested green, and sold weeks later. I'm willing to pay more because it is more valuable to me.
I suspect that this quality of food probably costs more to produce than that produced by agribusiness. It's only fair that those increased costs are included in the sale price.
I live in Los Angeles and buy almost all of my fruit and veg at the farmer's markets. Prices vary but they are comparable with the better grocery stores. I shop at a market that has slightly higher prices (Hollywood) but it is absolutely worth. Much better variety, more vendors, more organic. Even if the prices weren't close, I'd still shop there with a high premium. Peaches aren't fungible. Neither are greens. I can taste the difference.
I live in germany and i dont know how exactly a farmer market is organized across the ocean. I gues somehow like a german "Wochenmarkt". Or not?
The reason for higher prices might be the cost of manpower. At a typical german "Wochenmarkt", the farmer brings only a small truckload to the market and he stands beside his grocerys all the time, ready to answer your questions. Ready for some smalltalk about weather, recipes etc. That is time that must be calculated into the grocerys price.
In a supermarket, few person deliver lots of truckloads of grocerys to the supermarket and the food just lies there wating for you but without a farmer ready to answer your questions or doing some smalltalk. That is how the lower price is made.
Sorry for my english, i am not a native speaker.
Somewhere along the line, someone told us that we were entitled to cheap food. The bottom line is, REAL food costs money. Food should not be where we cut corners on our budgets, unless we've already cut every other aspect of our budgets and we're still broke.
I used to sell baked goods at a farmers market, and got to know a few farmers, this is what I learned:
The farmers were up early in the morning harvesting the food they brought to market. When we pay a slightly higher price, we are buying ourselves maybe even a whole week of extra time to use that produce up, not to mention that it was ripened on the ground, and flavorful, rather than jostled halfway across the country in a cardboard box and maybe not even ripe by the time we buy it, a week later, as so often happens at most stores.
The farmhands that wer'e paying, probably don't live in nice Apartment Therapy inspired homes. The ones I met slept in the back of their 1979 farm trucks, the ones they carried the produce to market in, or lived in a run down trailer parked on the farm land.
I came back a year later to the market where I had worked, and THREE of the farms had shut down due to financial trouble. Farmers with organic produce were being overlooked because the consumers cared more about labels than farming practice. Its amazing how if people would have taken the time to understand that the only difference between two farms was the money to pay for certification, maybe those three farms would have made enough money to pay for certification, and we would all rejoice that one more small, local farm found a way to succeed.
Its hard to spend more money on something when you can get it cheaper somewhere else. But I'll say it again: REAL FOOD COSTS MONEY!
Interesting subject. As I was reading the current comments, I stumbled upon this previous post which I hadn't yet seen...
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QUOTE: @discerning same problem as Ben - you seem inable to read. Don't you want the right farmers to benefit from government tax breaks? Or would you rather that money go towards bailing out a big bank?
I can read quite well, thankyouverymuch. I am also capable of comprehending what I read and responding rather than reacting. Let's all refrain from person attacks and stick to the subject, shall we? :)
To anwer your question, I would rather the federal government mind their own business and leave the farmers alone. The govt is clueless. And no, I would not like for *that money* to go toward bailing out a big bank. I would much rather *my money* directly support local farmers as opposed to having my [excessive] tax dollars reappropriated {MISappropriated] as a result of unnecessary regulations established by those who have never set foot on a real farm.
I come from a long line of farmers and know well the intricacies of farm life.I have lived it. It's not a pretty picture these days. With all due respect, Emmi, you are barking up the wrong tree.
blessings,
discerning
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"The idea of fair trade involves careful stewardship of the land, good treatment of workers, and a fair price to the producer"."
Careful stewardship is key.
I live in close proximity to two farmers markets. Nearby is also a Whole Foods and Trader Joes. The farmers markets are definitely more expensive. I can afford to shop at either and often shop at both but I honestly have a hard time justifying spending more at the farmers market. The romantic notion of supporting these hardworking field hands are just that...a romantic notion. The farmer is a greedy and ruthless business person. The farmer is every bit as profit driven an enterprise as say a Whole Foods. The difference being that at a Whole Foods you have a better chance of getting what you are paying for. Who's really to say that the produce you're buying from a farmers market is pesticide/insecticide free...who's to say that the meat is antibiotic free? How do you know? You really don't know but the feeling of strolling the farmers market on a Sunday morning coffee in hand with images of country fields dancing in your heads is too therapeutic an experience to be missed.
These markets are basically an outlet for the privileged to delude and feel better about themselves with the idea that "Oh I'm helping the little guy" only the farmer isn't the little guy. Farming is extremely profitable. In fact farming is one of the highest paying occupations in the United States. The little guy in the dusty overalls is richer than you but the country bumpkin act is a requirement of the job. Sort of like a costume and all part of the show. The privileged need their therapy and therapy isn't cheap....The farmers should actually charge more.
wow
I've never felt like farmers' market prices around Indianapolis were too expensive. But it seems odd to see complaints on an Apartment Therapy site about pricing. Sofas from Crate & Barrel and DWR cost more than sofas from Macy's, but people on here buy them all the time. Throw pillows via boutique shops on Etsy cost more than throw pillows from Walmart, but it's the hand-made pillows I see written about here, not the discount store pillows. If it's okay to pay more for higher quality and labor-intensive furniture and decorations, then why not for higher-quality and labor-intensive food?
@bynskimiss, can you cite your sources? ("In fact farming is one of the highest paying occupations in the United States.")
I have never seen or read anything of the sort and I'm curious about where you're getting your information.
So many urban people have no clue what it takes to be a farmer or how grocery stores obtain their produce. Some stores buy their local produce at auctions. Some have contracts to obtain their produce to guarantee their stock. Their price setting is also a factor. They will sometimes take a loss on certain items and make up for it by charging more for others.
Large industrial farms can be extremely profitable, however most other types are not. Do you know what the price of land is? Do you know how much risk is involved with farming?
I shop at farmers markets to support the local economy. There meat is usually better quality then the large industry farms, which costs more to produce. We buy all of our beef and pork from local sources, which is actually cheaper than buying at the grocery store, when you buy it all at once. Usually the produce from the farmer's market tastes better then elsewhere and I am willing to spend more for that.
If you have a limited budget, then just buy a few select things at the farmer's market. Things that are priced comparable to the grocery store or have superior taste (like homegrown tomatoes).
I'll get off my soap box now. It's just frustrating when people have no clue about where their food comes from. Don't get me started on people who have watched a documentary and think they know everything about an industry based on that documentary.
I have a comment on the Just Price option. I had been using a local shoe menders for years. Their work was always good. I took in a purse to have the strap mended which amounted to four stitches on their industrial sewing machine. I was taken aback to be charged $20 for this. I had recommended this place to a friend. She was charged $8 to get her strap sewn, probably because she cried poverty to all people offering goods and services. I can tell you I never used this shoe mender again.
I also have another friend who always wants trades people to "work with her". She was doing this with an income approaching $200,000 a year but had a problem with anyone else making a decent living.
The danger with Just Pricing is that the seller really cannot always distinguish between those who have a low income level and those who are gaming the system. However, I can guarantee that knowledge of differential pricing will infuriate your regular costumers and you may well lose some of them.
In Bethesda, Maryland, where I live, the farmers' markets are becoming dominated by craftspersons and shop owners. There aren't too many farmers left.
We have a farmers' market in the middle of town that was started many years ago and has a plaque out front that says they're on the National Register of Historic Places. I go there to buy fruit and flowers plus jam around holiday time. I have to wade past the flea market out front with people selling jewelry, tacky art, and bed linens before I get to the actual farmers' market. Once inside, there are five booths selling produce, one woman selling handbags, another booth selling photographs, two booths that sell fresh flowers and plants, one booth that sells old-fashioned clothes and accessories but never seems to be open, one booth selling jewelry, and a couple of baked-good vendors, most of whom have storefront businesses. There's a kind of rotating group of butchers or people selling Maryland crabs, but that's it. There's little haggling to be done, and I suspect that one or two of the produce vendors actually buy the produce elsewhere and sell it here for a profit. The point is that the farmers are getting squeezed out of the farmers' markets by sellers of manufactured or handmade goods, and it does a disservice to the growers and to the community who want to support them and are finding diminishing opportunity.