I buy my coffee from a local guy who has a truck and imports beans from all over the globe & roast them himself.
Much better and way fresher than anything I can find in any stores where I'm at.
Only other coffee I mess with, I'll order online from Key West from time to time.
..of forms this stuff takes. I have so many farms around me that our local markets typically price their stuff on par with mass greenhouse grown stuff on store shelves (if not less). Massively discounted from store-bought organic. You can also go toward the end of the market hours and get huge discounts as they'd rather not throw it away.
But there are also ones that cater to the stereotypical upper-middle class pseudo-Bohemians. Selling a lifestyle and charging absurd prices.
I'll usually get greens, any kind of alum, olive oil from a guy who imports from his family's press in Tunisia, and "holy fuck" good ground beef that's a mix of brisket and short rib.
Cutting out the middle man is supposed mean lower prices, not higher, and quite honestly the produce isn't always any better than you can get at a decent grocery store.
There are some interesting vendors at the one near my house - people selling homemade soaps, Brunswick stew, cheeses, etc. I do take a look at those from time to time.
Like anything else, it has gone from collecting roadside stands in one place to buy direct from the farmer to a business.
Some "farmer's markets" are farmer's markets in the sense that the stuff comes from some farmer someplace. Same with "roadside stands." There is one near work in CT that gets sweet corn and from NY and veggies from NJ. When you have a farmer's market with food trucks, manufactured goods and "farm to table" veggies from 500 miles away, that is not a farmer's market, that's an entertainment and grocery distribution center. Inquire about whether the nice "farmer" behind the table at the farmer's market actually grew the stuff that he or she is selling.
You sure that coffee guy imports his own? Roasting yes, but an individual importing on his own is insanely expensive. I find it hard to imagine that if they had a roasting business too that they would be selling at a farmers market. There is so much paperwork and compliance that goes into foreign importing. Not to mention the fact that the way cargo goes it would be ridiculously expensive to import even one crate from somewhere yourself. My guess is he has a broker or something he uses.
It's gotten insane. 10 years ago, you could get a baker's dozen ears of corn for a buck. Now, it's 2 for a buck. Tomato prices are twice that of the supermarkets. The 'boutique' stuff is just stuff no one wants to make anymore. My wife loves tomatilla salsa. They sell a pint container of it for 7.99 at our market. I can make two gallons for that price at home. We still go, but I generally just buy bedding plants and occasionally some fresh fruit or flower bouquets. I got a few artichoke plants for a few bucks in April and they're going gangbusters. I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
It's gotten insane. 10 years ago, you could get a baker's dozen ears of corn for a buck. Now, it's 2 for a buck. Tomato prices are twice that of the supermarkets. The 'boutique' stuff is just stuff no one wants to make anymore. My wife loves tomatilla salsa. They sell a pint container of it for 7.99 at our market. I can make two gallons for that price at home. We still go, but I generally just buy bedding plants and occasionally some fresh fruit or flower bouquets. I got a few artichoke plants for a few bucks in April and they're going gangbusters. I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
My kids love the dilly beans. $8 for a small mason jar.
that's not a farmer's market it's price gouging.
I'm no Jolly Green Giant, but I can grow green beans, it's one of the easiest things to grow. and I can put them in vinegar, etc. in a mason jar, and let them sit for a while.
Because i choose not to is no reason to charge me $8.
You sure that coffee guy imports his own? Roasting yes, but an individual importing on his own is insanely expensive. I find it hard to imagine that if they had a roasting business too that they would be selling at a farmers market. There is so much paperwork and compliance that goes into foreign importing. Not to mention the fact that the way cargo goes it would be ridiculously expensive to import even one crate from somewhere yourself. My guess is he has a broker or something he uses.
You're probably right as far as going through a broker, but the guy is killing it. The farmers market is just where he set's his truck up on Saturdays during the day, but he get's hired for all kinds of public & private events.
He's about to open his own shop in our town and he's gotten to this point within 4 maybe 5 years. His stuff is that good and he's in a nice area without much direct competition which gives him a nice boost.
We have a Starbucks(which is about as fancy as coffee gets in my area) in town and I'm willing to bet he does at least 3 times the business they do on a Saturday.
Davis, California, home of CA's largest Ag school, Â
has one of the biggest and best farmers' markets in CA. There is cheap stuff - but it's bulk typical grocery store level. The boutique stuff - heirloom tomatoes, chandler Strawberries, things like that - are exceptional.
If you haven't had a Chandler strawberry (they don't make it to stores because they don't keep or ship well) you don't know what you're missing.
Really the street food markets in Europe tend to kick ass over the US based ones that I have shopped at.
IF you go buy local seasonal produce, from local vendors/farmers. In my area they are chock full of baked goods, pickles, and jarred condiments, most of which are prepared in unlicensed, non-inspected kitchens. With that being said, one of my local farmer's mom makes awesome 'illegal' zucchini bread, that I can't wait to get on Thursday.
Used to go to Corrado's in Clifton as a kid with Mom or Grandparents, so it was definitely a good value (at least back in 40 or 50 years ago).
As a young adult, Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, though not a farmers market. Nice setting, decent for produce, pricey for other stuff, good backed goods (hello pecan and blueberry pie, or apple cider cake.
Now, I go to a farmer's market one in a while on Saturdays at Kapiolani Community College on Oahu. Nice setting, lots of tourists, no bargains.
Not farmer's market but actual small farm visit. Â
One that sticks out for me was about 40 years ago when visiting Martha's Vineyard after Labor Day, so I could get a free week through one of my dad's real estate buddies.
Stopped by a local farm on some corner in between the main towns and as I poked my nose around the various items asked if there was anything the young gal minding the store would particularly recommend. She mentioned that the "Cortland" apples had been picked off the tree that morning and were picked at the peak of ripeness. I think I bought four of them, 2 each for my GF and I.
OMG they were the bomb! Never had an apple before or since even close to that good for eating out of hand. Crisp, sweet with good acidity, thin skinned, just superb.
Now why the heck can't you find a Cortland variety apple sold just about anywhere? I'm not sure I've even seen them anywhere in any market since. Low yielding tree? Susceptible to diseases? Fruit doesn't pack or ship well?
Anyone looking for a variety (CV) of apples to plant on their property in the Northeast, try to find and plant a Cortland.
Absolutely love that place. I have moved away but it was close to my mom’s and I would go whenever I used to visit. It would always put me in a good mood. 3 bags of crap at regular grocery store would be something like $28. I would go there and get 7 bags of healthy food for $22.
of vegetables and gone to a few farmers markets. I usually plan my menus and then shop for them, and that doesn't usually work well in that format. Going veggies first by what looks good that week and then looking for recipes to make from them just isn't my preference
So I will need to get tomatoes, peas, lettuces, you name it from the market this year. I always buy eggs. I went most of my life without eating summer eggs from free range chickens. Not any more.
farm stands to the farmer's markets. You don't get the variety but the products are better tasting and fresh. However still priced higher than they used to be. In my area there are several and each have different items. Makes for more running around.
this talk of farmers markets is making me miss them. I always to the one in Union Square when I worked in midtown. Since I started working on Long Island and driving to work for the last 10 years I stopped. Any of you guys know a good farmers on the Island? Since I'm already used to driving it's not a problem
Absolutely love that place. I have moved away but it was close to my mom’s and I would go whenever I used to visit. It would always put me in a good mood. 3 bags of crap at regular grocery store would be something like $28. I would go there and get 7 bags of healthy food for $22.
i know right. great stuff from farmers and all local.
I'm not sure this is the right venue for a Farmer's Market Economics Â
Yes, Farmer's markets are about cutting out the middle man, but that does not mean they are about selling produce cheaper.
It's about putting more money into the actual grower's pocket that the the would be middle men, and bring access to the producers and their products directly to community access.
So called cheap produce have externalities that make their direct prices seem less expensive but their actual cost is much more expensive to society and communities that locally produced farm fresh produce and value added products.
Fresh produce tastes better is more nutritious and better for you. Produce with increased food miles (distance and time from the place and time of harvest) generally has less shelf life, more depleted nutrients and less additional benefits like better balance omega ratios
I will admit - that it's not for everybody -- but farming is a very hard lifestyle and without becoming a factory farm -- most farmers fail to make a profit -- so the decision to buy at a farmer's market is in fact both a political choice and an economics cost.
If you want cheaper than you want economies of scale and you want mass produced products and a certain amount of exploitation of resources
On the other hand when you buy directly from the farmer you can learn about who grows your food and how and get a better fresher product that lasts longer on the shelf and is better for you and your surrounding community. You give more of an opportunity for a local producer to make a decent living and so everyone benefits.
If I think of anything else - I'll say it - but that's my piece and I'm sticking too it.
From April to November, if I'm in town I go every Saturday to the Charlotte Farmer's market for produce. I'm paying on par or less what I would in the grocery store. For items like artisan cheese or meats, it is a ripoff (anything called artisan is)
But I'll use fresh lettuce, herbs, onions, fruit, kale, potatoes, tomatoes and often in varieties groceries don't carry or that charge a bundle for. Try getting heirloom tomatoes that are fresh and priced decently at a supermarket.
RE: I'm not sure this is the right venue for a Farmer's Market Economics Â
Yes, Farmer's markets are about cutting out the middle man, but that does not mean they are about selling produce cheaper.
It's about putting more money into the actual grower's pocket that the the would be middle men, and bring access to the producers and their products directly to community access.
So called cheap produce have externalities that make their direct prices seem less expensive but their actual cost is much more expensive to society and communities that locally produced farm fresh produce and value added products.
Fresh produce tastes better is more nutritious and better for you. Produce with increased food miles (distance and time from the place and time of harvest) generally has less shelf life, more depleted nutrients and less additional benefits like better balance omega ratios
I will admit - that it's not for everybody -- but farming is a very hard lifestyle and without becoming a factory farm -- most farmers fail to make a profit -- so the decision to buy at a farmer's market is in fact both a political choice and an economics cost.
If you want cheaper than you want economies of scale and you want mass produced products and a certain amount of exploitation of resources
On the other hand when you buy directly from the farmer you can learn about who grows your food and how and get a better fresher product that lasts longer on the shelf and is better for you and your surrounding community. You give more of an opportunity for a local producer to make a decent living and so everyone benefits.
If I think of anything else - I'll say it - but that's my piece and I'm sticking too it.
Are you kidding me? A few years ago you could get toms for .50 a pound and corn for a dollar a baker's dozen. Beans were a couple bucks for a half bushell and you could can them for the winter. Sqaush was almost given away. Economy Mumbo Jumbo adied, this ain't about just cutting ou the middle man. They're ripping us off. The "farmers" in my market are bringing in produce from GA, FL, and MI. Like I said above, you go into any grocery store and they all have signs that say "locally grown" and name the farm. Why are their prices half or better than the "farmers" market?
Meats just seems way too expensive to me. I bought a chicken once for like 10x more than the grocery store and, although I. sureit was antibiotic-free. free-range, grain-def or whatever, it pretty much tasted like chicken to me. I'm waiting for a raise to come through so I can try some beef or pork form the Farmers Market.
prices are similar to what I frequently see down here.
It is actually a better value for me to go to the farmer's market instead of the grocery store
Exactly. Here, the F'burg market used to be a bargain. Now, it's trendy. The prices are insane and getting worse all the time. They're either throwing a lot of good produce away every week or taking the trucks right to the supermarkets upon closing to sell to them.
all I could hear was George Caldwell's summary judgment
So facts don't matter? For some reason produce in GA is 4 times cheaper than the rest of the populated world? It's an anomaly? Mike we all know you're a farmer. You tell me why 4 tomatillas, a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of cilantro, a tablespoon of lime juice, and a quarter of an onion that have been roasted and put through a blender should cost 8 dollars?
...who do you think you are? So now my expectation to buy a pound of tomatoes at a reasonable price should be tied to my hourly wage? Seriously, what the hell are you talking about? So when you buy a new car, do you say, "Well, he's a small local dealer so I'm fine with paying 2K more for the car"? Somehow I doubt you pay anymore money for goods or services than you have to. Somehow I doubt you round up to the next thousand when you pay your taxes and that you use every deduction coming to you.
I've seen and read a lot of disingenuous stuff on BBI but this takes the cake. Let me ask YOU a question...If someone's making 10 bucks an hour at McD's, should they be able to get their produce free? I mean, they work pretty damned hard...I worked at McD's for less than 2 bucks an hour.
I worked hard, developed a marketable skill set that highly successful companies pay top dollar to employ. I'm not ashamed nor sorry for it. I keep working hard, I persevere, and I've been in the right place at the right time on occasion. So now I should be punished by paying my 'fair share' for tomatoes. I made my money, I want to keep my money. I pay what I deem fair for whatever product I buy. I will not purchase anything I believe is unreasonably priced, and I believe that the prices at my local market are unreasonable. They want 3 bucks a pound for tomatoes? Let them eat them or rot, I say. Incredible.
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
Lol I don't know hard work, says the lawyer who plants a few tomatoes a year. I did 14 years enlisted in the Navy, 8 at sea. I wouldn't last a week on a farm? My uncles had farms in Latrobe,PA and I worked them summers as a young boy. Then I worked a farm for three summers, aged 14-16. For a dollar an hour. Halas's Farm, Danbury CT. Look it up. In high school, I worked for an artesian well drilling company called Noris J Stone and sons in Danbury digging ditches. When I dropped out of college I did warehouse work and learned how to lay tile before joining the Navy. Don't talk about that which you do not know.
I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
Yeah, this has been my experience as well. Growing up in NJ, I associated farmers markets with good deals on fresh produce, especially if you were interested in a whole bushel and/or didn't need every piece of fruit to look perfect. But the main farmers market in my area now is more a tourist destination and the farm products seem outnumbered by crafts, prepared foods, and other stands.
And the farm products are no better than what I get at Wegmans a much lower cost (and it's not even like Wegmans is especially cheap). As someone who doesn't buy into the whole "organic" thing, I appreciate the other choices at Wegmans - many of them also produced locally, but seemingly not welcome at the farmers market since they aren't organic.
the one reason I go to our farmers market is for this baker who doesn't have his own store, only shows up at the market, and makes a killer baguette and bialy (better than I can find anywhere else in town and reasonably priced to boot).
If you want to climb up on a cross over this, be my guest. I'm not making a moral argument here. The guys at Lakeside Market can get rich housewives to fork over twice as much for produce, then more power to them. That's free enterprise at work, and my hat's off to them. Me, I'm not interested in paying more. I've got two kids who I have to bankroll through softball, soccer, swim team, dive team, Boy Scout trips, summer camp, tae kwon do, an elderly diabetic dachshund who is putting a veterinarian' s kid through college with her vet bills, home repairs, a yard full of giant trees that I want removed so one doesn't eventually crush my house in a storm....I could go on but I've made my point. So, I'm frugal where I can be, and the grocery store is a prime example. I've practically made an art form out of feeding a family of 4 on about 120 bucks of groceries a week. Can't do that if I was paying for fancy farmers market vegetables, so I don't, simple as that.
If you want to climb up on a cross over this, be my guest. I'm not making a moral argument here. The guys at Lakeside Market can get rich housewives to fork over twice as much for produce, then more power to them. That's free enterprise at work, and my hat's off to them. Me, I'm not interested in paying more. I've got two kids who I have to bankroll through softball, soccer, swim team, dive team, Boy Scout trips, summer camp, tae kwon do, an elderly diabetic dachshund who is putting a veterinarian' s kid through college with her vet bills, home repairs, a yard full of giant trees that I want removed so one doesn't eventually crush my house in a storm....I could go on but I've made my point. So, I'm frugal where I can be, and the grocery store is a prime example. I've practically made an art form out of feeding a family of 4 on about 120 bucks of groceries a week. Can't do that if I was paying for fancy farmers market vegetables, so I don't, simple as that.
I'd love to see how you do this, so you can put together a video on it so my wife can stop spending $200-$250 per week for our family of 5. and that doesn't count the multiple trips per week for more produce (thankfully NOT from farmer's markets, LOL) or BJ's/Costco quarterly visit or Boxed.com.
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I've practically made an art form out of feeding a family of 4 on about 120 bucks of groceries a week
I buy generic store brands for almost everything. Off the top of my head, the only name brands I buy are Duke's mayo and Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese.
I shop around. I can get better deals on certain things at different stores, so most weeks I'll go to at least two of Kroger, Publix, Aldi, and Lidl. The Christmas Tree store has a limited selection but some great deals on things like kids' snacks and canned soup. I get non-food kitchen items, like foil and ziplocks, at the dollar store.
I read the circulars and hit the sales hard. Publix has BOGO deals every week, and I'm all over those - pretty much the only reason I go there. It's a fantastic store with great customer service, but so expensive outside of the sales. I have a chest freezer, so after Thanksgiving I always pick up 3 or 4 turkeys when their price gets slashed to around 50 cents a pound.
And finally, I just avoid pricier stuff. I only get bacon when there's a good sale. Very rarely buy steaks or lamb. Lots and lots of chicken thighs, drumsticks, and bone-in pork chops.
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
Interesting that you would accuse someone of self-righteousness and fake moral outrage in that humdinger of a post...
I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn't think complaining about the changes that have occured at these markets would cause a ruckus. I shouldn't have risen to the bait. Again, I apologize.
I should have kept my mouth shut. I didn't think complaining about the changes that have occured at these markets would cause a ruckus. I shouldn't have risen to the bait. Again, I apologize.
you didn't do anything wrong.
other than be white. you POS.
I just find it funny that this became some kind of moral argument Â
But probably one of the most asinine comments I have ever seen on here:
Quote:
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
Much better and way fresher than anything I can find in any stores where I'm at.
Only other coffee I mess with, I'll order online from Key West from time to time.
But there are also ones that cater to the stereotypical upper-middle class pseudo-Bohemians. Selling a lifestyle and charging absurd prices.
I'll usually get greens, any kind of alum, olive oil from a guy who imports from his family's press in Tunisia, and "holy fuck" good ground beef that's a mix of brisket and short rib.
There are some interesting vendors at the one near my house - people selling homemade soaps, Brunswick stew, cheeses, etc. I do take a look at those from time to time.
Some "farmer's markets" are farmer's markets in the sense that the stuff comes from some farmer someplace. Same with "roadside stands." There is one near work in CT that gets sweet corn and from NY and veggies from NJ. When you have a farmer's market with food trucks, manufactured goods and "farm to table" veggies from 500 miles away, that is not a farmer's market, that's an entertainment and grocery distribution center. Inquire about whether the nice "farmer" behind the table at the farmer's market actually grew the stuff that he or she is selling.
I'm a fan. Live music sometimes, food trucks, what's not to like?
Quote:
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and expensive.
It's gotten insane. 10 years ago, you could get a baker's dozen ears of corn for a buck. Now, it's 2 for a buck. Tomato prices are twice that of the supermarkets. The 'boutique' stuff is just stuff no one wants to make anymore. My wife loves tomatilla salsa. They sell a pint container of it for 7.99 at our market. I can make two gallons for that price at home. We still go, but I generally just buy bedding plants and occasionally some fresh fruit or flower bouquets. I got a few artichoke plants for a few bucks in April and they're going gangbusters. I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
Quote:
In comment 14482272 Greg from LI said:
Quote:
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and expensive.
It's gotten insane. 10 years ago, you could get a baker's dozen ears of corn for a buck. Now, it's 2 for a buck. Tomato prices are twice that of the supermarkets. The 'boutique' stuff is just stuff no one wants to make anymore. My wife loves tomatilla salsa. They sell a pint container of it for 7.99 at our market. I can make two gallons for that price at home. We still go, but I generally just buy bedding plants and occasionally some fresh fruit or flower bouquets. I got a few artichoke plants for a few bucks in April and they're going gangbusters. I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
My kids love the dilly beans. $8 for a small mason jar.
that's not a farmer's market it's price gouging.
I'm no Jolly Green Giant, but I can grow green beans, it's one of the easiest things to grow. and I can put them in vinegar, etc. in a mason jar, and let them sit for a while.
Because i choose not to is no reason to charge me $8.
or maybe it is, but it makes me not want to go.
Try the Reading Terminal Market. It's great.
You're probably right as far as going through a broker, but the guy is killing it. The farmers market is just where he set's his truck up on Saturdays during the day, but he get's hired for all kinds of public & private events.
He's about to open his own shop in our town and he's gotten to this point within 4 maybe 5 years. His stuff is that good and he's in a nice area without much direct competition which gives him a nice boost.
We have a Starbucks(which is about as fancy as coffee gets in my area) in town and I'm willing to bet he does at least 3 times the business they do on a Saturday.
If you haven't had a Chandler strawberry (they don't make it to stores because they don't keep or ship well) you don't know what you're missing.
Really the street food markets in Europe tend to kick ass over the US based ones that I have shopped at.
As a young adult, Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, though not a farmers market. Nice setting, decent for produce, pricey for other stuff, good backed goods (hello pecan and blueberry pie, or apple cider cake.
Now, I go to a farmer's market one in a while on Saturdays at Kapiolani Community College on Oahu. Nice setting, lots of tourists, no bargains.
Stopped by a local farm on some corner in between the main towns and as I poked my nose around the various items asked if there was anything the young gal minding the store would particularly recommend. She mentioned that the "Cortland" apples had been picked off the tree that morning and were picked at the peak of ripeness. I think I bought four of them, 2 each for my GF and I.
OMG they were the bomb! Never had an apple before or since even close to that good for eating out of hand. Crisp, sweet with good acidity, thin skinned, just superb.
Now why the heck can't you find a Cortland variety apple sold just about anywhere? I'm not sure I've even seen them anywhere in any market since. Low yielding tree? Susceptible to diseases? Fruit doesn't pack or ship well?
Anyone looking for a variety (CV) of apples to plant on their property in the Northeast, try to find and plant a Cortland.
One has a sheep farm and I get their pecorino, kefir and yogurt. I'm thinking of adding meat back and may get their lamb when I'm ready.
Mostly I get greens, root veggies etc in season.
Really special - Delicata squash when their time comes!
i know right. great stuff from farmers and all local.
Yes, Farmer's markets are about cutting out the middle man, but that does not mean they are about selling produce cheaper.
It's about putting more money into the actual grower's pocket that the the would be middle men, and bring access to the producers and their products directly to community access.
So called cheap produce have externalities that make their direct prices seem less expensive but their actual cost is much more expensive to society and communities that locally produced farm fresh produce and value added products.
Fresh produce tastes better is more nutritious and better for you. Produce with increased food miles (distance and time from the place and time of harvest) generally has less shelf life, more depleted nutrients and less additional benefits like better balance omega ratios
I will admit - that it's not for everybody -- but farming is a very hard lifestyle and without becoming a factory farm -- most farmers fail to make a profit -- so the decision to buy at a farmer's market is in fact both a political choice and an economics cost.
If you want cheaper than you want economies of scale and you want mass produced products and a certain amount of exploitation of resources
On the other hand when you buy directly from the farmer you can learn about who grows your food and how and get a better fresher product that lasts longer on the shelf and is better for you and your surrounding community. You give more of an opportunity for a local producer to make a decent living and so everyone benefits.
If I think of anything else - I'll say it - but that's my piece and I'm sticking too it.
From April to November, if I'm in town I go every Saturday to the Charlotte Farmer's market for produce. I'm paying on par or less what I would in the grocery store. For items like artisan cheese or meats, it is a ripoff (anything called artisan is)
But I'll use fresh lettuce, herbs, onions, fruit, kale, potatoes, tomatoes and often in varieties groceries don't carry or that charge a bundle for. Try getting heirloom tomatoes that are fresh and priced decently at a supermarket.
Yes, Farmer's markets are about cutting out the middle man, but that does not mean they are about selling produce cheaper.
It's about putting more money into the actual grower's pocket that the the would be middle men, and bring access to the producers and their products directly to community access.
So called cheap produce have externalities that make their direct prices seem less expensive but their actual cost is much more expensive to society and communities that locally produced farm fresh produce and value added products.
Fresh produce tastes better is more nutritious and better for you. Produce with increased food miles (distance and time from the place and time of harvest) generally has less shelf life, more depleted nutrients and less additional benefits like better balance omega ratios
I will admit - that it's not for everybody -- but farming is a very hard lifestyle and without becoming a factory farm -- most farmers fail to make a profit -- so the decision to buy at a farmer's market is in fact both a political choice and an economics cost.
If you want cheaper than you want economies of scale and you want mass produced products and a certain amount of exploitation of resources
On the other hand when you buy directly from the farmer you can learn about who grows your food and how and get a better fresher product that lasts longer on the shelf and is better for you and your surrounding community. You give more of an opportunity for a local producer to make a decent living and so everyone benefits.
If I think of anything else - I'll say it - but that's my piece and I'm sticking too it.
Are you kidding me? A few years ago you could get toms for .50 a pound and corn for a dollar a baker's dozen. Beans were a couple bucks for a half bushell and you could can them for the winter. Sqaush was almost given away. Economy Mumbo Jumbo adied, this ain't about just cutting ou the middle man. They're ripping us off. The "farmers" in my market are bringing in produce from GA, FL, and MI. Like I said above, you go into any grocery store and they all have signs that say "locally grown" and name the farm. Why are their prices half or better than the "farmers" market?
The Watermelons are 25+ pounds...3.99. Here, a 10lb one cost 7 bucks.
It is actually a better value for me to go to the farmer's market instead of the grocery store
It is actually a better value for me to go to the farmer's market instead of the grocery store
Exactly. Here, the F'burg market used to be a bargain. Now, it's trendy. The prices are insane and getting worse all the time. They're either throwing a lot of good produce away every week or taking the trucks right to the supermarkets upon closing to sell to them.
So facts don't matter? For some reason produce in GA is 4 times cheaper than the rest of the populated world? It's an anomaly? Mike we all know you're a farmer. You tell me why 4 tomatillas, a clove of garlic, a tablespoon of cilantro, a tablespoon of lime juice, and a quarter of an onion that have been roasted and put through a blender should cost 8 dollars?
I've seen and read a lot of disingenuous stuff on BBI but this takes the cake. Let me ask YOU a question...If someone's making 10 bucks an hour at McD's, should they be able to get their produce free? I mean, they work pretty damned hard...I worked at McD's for less than 2 bucks an hour.
I worked hard, developed a marketable skill set that highly successful companies pay top dollar to employ. I'm not ashamed nor sorry for it. I keep working hard, I persevere, and I've been in the right place at the right time on occasion. So now I should be punished by paying my 'fair share' for tomatoes. I made my money, I want to keep my money. I pay what I deem fair for whatever product I buy. I will not purchase anything I believe is unreasonably priced, and I believe that the prices at my local market are unreasonable. They want 3 bucks a pound for tomatoes? Let them eat them or rot, I say. Incredible.
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
Lol I don't know hard work, says the lawyer who plants a few tomatoes a year. I did 14 years enlisted in the Navy, 8 at sea. I wouldn't last a week on a farm? My uncles had farms in Latrobe,PA and I worked them summers as a young boy. Then I worked a farm for three summers, aged 14-16. For a dollar an hour. Halas's Farm, Danbury CT. Look it up. In high school, I worked for an artesian well drilling company called Noris J Stone and sons in Danbury digging ditches. When I dropped out of college I did warehouse work and learned how to lay tile before joining the Navy. Don't talk about that which you do not know.
I especially love it when I go into Giant or Wegman's and get corn on the cob and other veggies with signs that all read "locally grown" at 1/4 the price of the farmer's market.
Yeah, this has been my experience as well. Growing up in NJ, I associated farmers markets with good deals on fresh produce, especially if you were interested in a whole bushel and/or didn't need every piece of fruit to look perfect. But the main farmers market in my area now is more a tourist destination and the farm products seem outnumbered by crafts, prepared foods, and other stands.
And the farm products are no better than what I get at Wegmans a much lower cost (and it's not even like Wegmans is especially cheap). As someone who doesn't buy into the whole "organic" thing, I appreciate the other choices at Wegmans - many of them also produced locally, but seemingly not welcome at the farmers market since they aren't organic.
If you want to climb up on a cross over this, be my guest. I'm not making a moral argument here. The guys at Lakeside Market can get rich housewives to fork over twice as much for produce, then more power to them. That's free enterprise at work, and my hat's off to them. Me, I'm not interested in paying more. I've got two kids who I have to bankroll through softball, soccer, swim team, dive team, Boy Scout trips, summer camp, tae kwon do, an elderly diabetic dachshund who is putting a veterinarian' s kid through college with her vet bills, home repairs, a yard full of giant trees that I want removed so one doesn't eventually crush my house in a storm....I could go on but I've made my point. So, I'm frugal where I can be, and the grocery store is a prime example. I've practically made an art form out of feeding a family of 4 on about 120 bucks of groceries a week. Can't do that if I was paying for fancy farmers market vegetables, so I don't, simple as that.
If you want to climb up on a cross over this, be my guest. I'm not making a moral argument here. The guys at Lakeside Market can get rich housewives to fork over twice as much for produce, then more power to them. That's free enterprise at work, and my hat's off to them. Me, I'm not interested in paying more. I've got two kids who I have to bankroll through softball, soccer, swim team, dive team, Boy Scout trips, summer camp, tae kwon do, an elderly diabetic dachshund who is putting a veterinarian' s kid through college with her vet bills, home repairs, a yard full of giant trees that I want removed so one doesn't eventually crush my house in a storm....I could go on but I've made my point. So, I'm frugal where I can be, and the grocery store is a prime example. I've practically made an art form out of feeding a family of 4 on about 120 bucks of groceries a week. Can't do that if I was paying for fancy farmers market vegetables, so I don't, simple as that.
I'd love to see how you do this, so you can put together a video on it so my wife can stop spending $200-$250 per week for our family of 5. and that doesn't count the multiple trips per week for more produce (thankfully NOT from farmer's markets, LOL) or BJ's/Costco quarterly visit or Boxed.com.
I shop around. I can get better deals on certain things at different stores, so most weeks I'll go to at least two of Kroger, Publix, Aldi, and Lidl. The Christmas Tree store has a limited selection but some great deals on things like kids' snacks and canned soup. I get non-food kitchen items, like foil and ziplocks, at the dollar store.
I read the circulars and hit the sales hard. Publix has BOGO deals every week, and I'm all over those - pretty much the only reason I go there. It's a fantastic store with great customer service, but so expensive outside of the sales. I have a chest freezer, so after Thanksgiving I always pick up 3 or 4 turkeys when their price gets slashed to around 50 cents a pound.
And finally, I just avoid pricier stuff. I only get bacon when there's a good sale. Very rarely buy steaks or lamb. Lots and lots of chicken thighs, drumsticks, and bone-in pork chops.
But dollar store for aluminum foil, zip lock bags, saran wrap, etc. absolutely.
we also have two basement freezers and I load up with things are on sale.
We don't shop extravagantly IMO, but three kids, with three separate sports activities every season, we have a lot of meals on the run, etc.
you wouldn't last a week working on a farm. You don't know what hard work is. You are so embroiled in your self righteous angry white man rage that you can't see the forest for the trees.
I detest your fake moral outrage - you use it indiscriminately on everything to make your arguments. You don't know what facts are - they are immaterial to you -- all you need is something to wave and be angry with -- - and it is wholey misplaced, irrational anger, and tied to your naval and your rabid view on the world
Supermarket ads prove nothing - they do not bolster any factual argument whatsoever
you want cheap food -- go eat it --
you want to question why someone charges what they charge -- I want to know what justifies what you make before I answer that - your argument above proves that you think you are better than the man making the guacamole and that somehow your need for cheap food trumps his right to make a living
Interesting that you would accuse someone of self-righteousness and fake moral outrage in that humdinger of a post...
you didn't do anything wrong.
other than be white. you POS.