Farmers Markets vs. Grocery Store – Where do you save more money?

One additional item for consideration is that if you’re a first-time gardener, you can buy produce from the farmer’s market and save the seed for replanting the next year. When you factor in the cost of seed, I think farmer’s markets would win out.

The reason most of the produce at the grocery market is cheaper because the farms they get the produce from does it in mass production and a lot of machinery but the farmers market it a good place because the vendors are giving the customers home grown goods and for an affordable cost

Our farmers market at Clark Park, Tempe, AZ, is way cheaper than our local Safeway. It is really small though and only has about 20-25 vendors. Carrots are 25c each.

As a grower that sells at the farmers markets this post was honestly upsetting to me. I think people need to take much more into consideration than comparing our prices to the chain grocery stores because honestly, there is no comparison. If you want cheap, mediocre food, by all means, compare away and purchase from the grocery store where most of the produce is shipped in from (often) other countries. Even the “organic” produce is sprayed with approved chemicals, mass productions often under pay their labor workers, force small farms out of business, and do more harm than good for the environment. Tomatoes, strawberries, and multiple other things are first sprayed with preservatives and then sprayed with more chemicals or gasses to ripen during shipping. Countless pounds are then tossed out. Our family is on a strict budget but it’s all about priority, we’d rather support our small, local, family run farms and pay them top notch for the wonderful things they provide. If we can’t afford meat for every meal because it’s not “cheap” enough, guess what? We don’t eat meat. I often work in the garden and wonder… If the people who talked about price per lb for the delicious heirloom tomatoes I grow came and worked by my side for a few days, would they have a different view? Maybe they’d suggest I charge more? Support your local farms, pay them well, and please don’t compare our prices to the grocery store… It’s more than numbers on paper to us, it’s our livelihood and we work hard to provide you with good, nutritious, well cared for, and happy food.

Hello!

I encourage people to shop Farmer’s Market! I am not familiar with Winco, but Farmers’ Markets help support the local economy on so many levels (local business, local families and nutrient dense foods).

Some markets try to help people that are on SNAP or WIC with a ‘matching funds’ program. Ask about an Access to Healthy Foods program to find out if you are eligible!

Love our market!

A great way tog et good deals at markets and produce stands is to make offers for bulk purchases. Ask to buy what’s left–making a reasonable offer seems to benefit all because they’re guaranteed the sale (no fun to throw away something you could have sold) and you get plenty for processing (jams, canning, etc). I like this for things that store well (onions and garlic), and things that are fun and easy to do (pickles top my list).

Being a Long Islander who is now in NC I can say the produce prices in supermarkets aren’t that great & the quality of the produce is oftentimes even worse. There are so many farm stands down here that I use them as often as I can regardless of price. I have yet to actually go to a farmers’ market though. I do have to get my lettuce & exceptionally expensive asparagus from the grocery stores.

This is a great article, Karrie…but it made me so very homesick!! I’m a US Navy wife, and this is our 3rd Summer living in Japan! I grew up a country girl, and living on a farm I learned the value of home-grown and the joys of the Farmer’s Market!

I love how you did price and quality comparisons in your article! I was taught to do the same thing! Over here, I have had a garden (yes, even on Base Housing!)…it gets strange looks from the neighbors (they have flowers growing in their front yard…I’ve got tomatoes, corn, salad greens, etc.). In my research living here, I have learned that for produce, the Base Grocery (Commissary) is NOT the place to go! The prices are high and very few items are fresh. It all has to be shipped from the states & go through Japanese Customs before they get to the store, so both cost and quality reflects this process. Here in Japan, there aren’t many “formal” Farmer’s Markets, per se, but they have small (sometimes large) street markets with everything that a neighborhood needs…including produce! These markets are great places to get anything fresh…fish, meat and produce…because all these items are brought in daily, fresh from the boat, butcher and farm!! The prices are lower than the base store and you can’t beat the prices!!

So please pass along to your readers who are Military living overseas my advice to get off base and compare what the local community does for fresh produce (Farmer’s Markets or street markets, or something else). It’s always a great adventure and guaranteed get you closer to fresh tasties & help you learn how another culture does it!

Agree with Christy — Winco produce has brought me nothing but disappointment. Haven’t bothered with it in ages.

A few other points in favor of farmer’s markets, from a farmer’s daughter:

Growers who expect to have to ship their product hundreds or thousands of miles to grocery stores have to focus on the varieties of fruits and veggies that ship the best — ones that resist mold or don’t bruise as easily. These varieties aren’t necessarily the ones that taste the best! Growers who sell locally don’t have to bother with growing varieties that keep well but taste like cardboard — they can focus on what tastes the best fresh and what their local customers like.

If you’re interested in any kind of preserving, you can get a lot more useful information from the local growers at the farmers’ markets than from most grocery stores. No clerk at Winco is going to know whether their peaches are freestone or cling — and if you’re making jam or baby food, this is vital information!

So yes, while grocery story produce is often cheaper than what you find at farmers’ markets, this is one of those cases where you may get what you pay for.

The one local exception for grocery store produce is Yoke’s. Their Fresh Friday deals can be pretty spectacular, are often local, and I found their produce associates to be more knowledgeable and helpful than most. We moved back to Western OR a few years ago, and man alive, do I miss my local Yoke’s.

You’re right the farmer’s market is a wonderful event, but the grocery store is more budget friendly. But I consider my visits to the farmer’s market more entertainment than part of my grocery shopping, so the extra cost is worth the occasional shopping spree.