Does food cost more at the market?
Yes and no. There is no short answer to this question.There are many things that influence price at a farmers market.One is seasonality. When something is in season, there’s a lot of it and prices are low. Often lower than the supermarkets. So depending on the time of year and what the product is, farmers markets can be cheaper.Generally speaking, stall holders at farmers markets grow on a much smaller scale than farmers who supply supermarkets. They lack the advantages of the larger growers who have various economies of scale. Growing food is a 7-day-a-week job and farmers deserve a fair wage, just as everyone who works does. This can mean that some products are more expensive than the supermarkets, who have the buying power to negotiate down prices they pay their suppliers, so they can sell cheaper without incurring any loss themselves. When you buy direct from the farmer, you know that you are paying a fair price for the work it has taken to bring that product to the market. That’s how you support a local food system.We encourage our customers not to think in terms of “cheaper” or “more expensive”. We believe thinking in terms of “value” is far more relevant. The food at a farmers market is fresher and lasts longer in your fridge. As our market is an afternoon market, the produce is picked that morning. No supermarket can compete with that.The contribution you make to your health, your wellbeing, the wellbeing of the farmer and the wellbeing of the local community is the real value of buying from a farmers market.But if it does come down to simply spending more or less, follow this advice:Eat seasonally and eat mindfully (ie. with less waste) and it will not cost you any more to shop at a farmers market.