Why is farmers market more expensive

Search for:. Farmers market v supermarket: Who wins on price? View Larger Image. Bananas are not the only thing cheaper at the farmers market right now.

After harvesting, cleaning, packing, and transporting the product also falls on the farmers and their workers, too, driving up the expenses. Farmers that participate in local markets often have a community-driven mindset. They want to provide for their community, pay their workers a fair wage, and try to offer reasonable prices so that even low income families can eat better. It just depends on their social mission. Tourist-heavy areas, for example, may have more expensive markets to try and make back some of these costs from people looking to spend more of their disposable income.

Many times, prices at markets are equal to or less than traditional grocery store prices, especially when looking at organic produce. We think so. More importantly, is price the only factor you should consider? Part of being budget-minded is the fact that you pay attention to current prices; you are price-savvy so to speak.

This is not inherently true, believe it or not. One big difference stands out between the two. Prices and units of measurement, especially in bulk, are not standardized at a local market. In fact, you could argue that local market prices for bigger quantities are much more competitive. Yes, the goods may be from a variety of farms and locations, but they have all been bought out by one company that is consolidating inventory and production. So, you may look at apples being sold by one farmer, and then find another seller of the same type of apples, nearby.

But why is food so inexpensive at grocery stores? How do our local farmers price their goods? What can you do as a consumer? Take a lap. Come with a plan! Think of some dishes you want to make, have a budget in mind, and even come with a finite amount of cash so you stop spending when you run out.

Be flexible. Come often.