Food prices not adding up!!!!

xerces · Last edited by xerces on Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:59 pm; edited 1 time in total

It's been about a month since I started buying most of my food from the farmer's market rather than the organic supermarket. I have noticed some very steep price differentials between the two places that are difficult to write off.

I used to buy the following items at the supermarket, but have switched to the farmer's market:

Organic Whole Milk (1/2 Gallon)

$3.75 => $3.00

Organic Potatoes (1lb)

$1.75 => $1.00

Organic Lettuce (1 head)

$4.00 => $1.00

Organic Onions (1lb)

$3.00 => $1.20

Organic Large Eggs (1 doz)

$4.25 => $2.50

Organic Mushrooms (1/2 lb)

$2.99 => $2.00

Green House grown bananas (4)

$3.00 => $1.00

Pasta (1 lb)

$2.49 => $1.25

The following items I still have to buy regularly from the supermarket since none of them are available in these parts:

Cookies/Chocolate/Sweets (1 pack)
$7.00

Ice Cream (1 quart)
$7.00

Pasta Sauce (3 cans)

$3.00

It's amazing to me that the cost of all locally produced foods necessary to feed me for a week(bought from farmers directly), does not add up to the price of ice cream, cookies, and pasta sauce.

Mad

_________________
http://backtowilderness.blogspot.com
http://grown-up-permaculture.com

TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 352

The yeild per acre and scalability of organically grown just can't compete with mechanized/chemical using techniques. Therefore, regular, at the farmers market grown with whatever methods is cheaper then organically grown.

TF

xerces · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:04 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

I'm actually purchasing ONLY organic varieties at both the supermarket and at the Farmer's market.
_________________
http://backtowilderness.blogspot.com
http://grown-up-permaculture.com

Windmills · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:34 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

Your graphic might be a little unclear. Are you saying that it's cheaper for you to buy organic produce at the farmers' market than at a store?

Ferretlover · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 6:40 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

$7 for a quart of ice cream?? Holy Cow!!
_________________
"RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto

Homesteader · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:08 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

alokin · Intermediate Crude Joined: Aug 24, 2007 Posts: 883

The prices are low to what we are paying in Australia, at least for organic. (considering that a dollar here is worth much the same there)
It is very easy why the farmers market is cheaper. They are selling their own produce. And every step of further trading costs 30% to 50%. A shop can't exist on a lower rate they have to pay rent personel etc.

FrankRichards · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 11, 2004 Posts: 112

jlw61 · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 7:48 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

xerces · Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 8:53 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!

blukatzen · Moderator Joined: Apr 11, 2005 Posts: 693

Hi Xerces,

With those prices on pasta sauce, pasta noodles and ice cream, I would be making them myself! Most people don't know how to cook them from scratch, but most of our grandmothers or great-grandmothers knew how to make sauce, noodles, and ice cream..just get a hand crank. I've got an electric and I can make myself fancy or exotic blends, like Peach mango ice cream with walnuts, if I wanted.

Sauce is incredibly easy, especially in the summer when most folks can or freeze thier tomatoes/bumper crop. Get some tomato plants and even if you have to grow them in 5 gal buckets on a balcony or back porch because you are urban, you can do this.

Noodles, just some flour and eggs, and a cutter. If you want fancy noodles, or pasta, just add in spinach, tomato paste, cheese, herb blends into your pasta flour mix. Fresh pasta is good, so try it.

All it takes is some extra time, budget for fresh, it's best all the time, hands down.

Blu

TreeFarmer · Heavy Crude Joined: Jun 26, 2007 Posts: 352

I found this quote on the article that was linked showing that organic was as good/better than conventional.

"Pimentel noted that although cash crops cannot be grown as frequently over time on organic farms because of the dependence on cultural practices to supply nutrients and control pests and because labor costs average about 15 percent higher in organic farming systems, the higher prices that organic foods command in the marketplace still make the net economic return per acre either equal to or higher than that of conventionally produced crops."

So cash crops can't be grown as frequently. Would that not imply that on the off-years you produce zero (because you are rebuilding your soil) while the conventional farm makes a regular crop?

I'm not sure of the correct interpretation here, so I'm asking.

TF

Pops

I'm gonna guess we in America will find our food more expensive in the near future. We might be surprised here in a few of months at the price of pasta, or even the stuff to make our own - look up Durum wheat supply.

It isn't a matter of organic vs conventional, folks.

Look around.
_________________
Make a plan and work it:

one_more_day · Tar Sands Joined: Aug 27, 2006 Posts: 77

back to the original post...I also find that my farmer's market has lower prices than the grocery store. I believe that the comment about cutting out the middleman is right. It costs less when you are not paying a bunch of undermotivated employees and all the other expenses that grocery stores incur.

jdmartin · Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: Re: Food prices not adding up!!!!