The good, the bad, and the organic
Anyone who really knows me well knows that I am a Farmer’s Market nut, a true junkie. I just love going to a place where all the different veggies are laid out and you get to meet people who watched the food that you are buying grow. It’s not that I only eat organic food, far from it. It’s that I equate Farmer’s Market food with well cared for food, and that makes me happy. Even if the farmer uses a little bit of chemical fertilizer here and there, I don’t mind. If a plant is thriving and well cared for, it will resist pests better and one does not need to use pesticides or herbicides.
But all this care has to be paid for and sometimes there is a steep difference in prices at the supermarket and at the Farmer’s Market. I don’t mind paying a higher price for Farmer’s Market food, but sometimes I worry that the price has gotten too high, not because it costs more to the farmer but because the people that demand it are food snobs with extra-money to spend. I know all about market prices and the intersection of supply and demand. But sometimes I wonder if it is the demand that raises the price or if the higher price produces the demand. I mean, if you price your squash as $3.50 are you basically telling people with money that your squash is awesome and it’s so special that it’s worth every penny?
August 21st, 2007 at 7:43 pm
In my neighborhood the farmer’s markets are actually less expensive than a supermarket. Corn is 25 cents an ear vs. 50 cents at a local pick your own and tomatoes are $1 per pound vs. 1.79 per pound for the organic. I feel lucky to be so fortunate. I know it’s not the same everywhere.