Farmer's Market Prices

Let me preface this little rant I'm about to get on, that I think we are fortunate to have the bounty goodness that our local farmers provide.
That being said, I totally understand that everyone wants a "fair market value" for the goods they have produced.
But time and time again, when I'm traveling and looking at other farmer's markets, in other not so distant places, why is the markup so high in Louisville?

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Yep, that's two big ole heirloom tomatoes for a buck! Not 3 or 4 bucks a pound!

I have found vastly different pricing at different FM within Louisville. The best (and truly reasonable pricing) I've found is at the FM off Rose Island Rd. it is a tiny venue with only a handful of participants but the vegetables , fruit eggs from there have been terrific.

While I have not visited every Farmer's Market in Louisville, the prices at the markets I have visited are absolutely ridiculous. I was visiting my hometown in N.E. Ohio last weekend and bought a bushel of pickling cucumbers for 18 bucks...along with a half a bushel of banana peppers for 12 bucks...Here they want 5 or 6 bucks for a teeny tiny little basket of cukes or peppers....like I said....ridiculous.

Maybe I am shopping for cheap stuff but Saturday at B-town road FM I bought some green beans for super cheap. Also peaches seemed low too.

Not to disagree, but are we comparing traditional grown to organic/ non- chemical methods? I would agree that some prices are higher than other areas- but they are also lower than San Francisco, New York snd the European markets I've shopped at. Part of this pricing depends on method of growing, land orices in the area, the cost of production, yields and then of course what the market will bear. Farm stands in rural areas will be cheaper as the above are less expensive.
I also expect to pay more for a full- fledged market with food, entertainment than the Grainger tomatoes I buy from the shack at the turnoff to Pineville, Ky. And I happily pay extra for my Brays peaches at the St Matthews market rather than drive all the way to Brays every week. ( though I make the trip for a load later season. )
That said, some farmer pricing IS steep- you need to shop around and ask. In the past two weeks, I bought a 1/2 bushel of cranberry beans at St Matthews for $15 ( only $20 for the whole bushel !) and 20 lbs of organic tomatoes from Grasshoppers for $30- both great deals. If you are looking for large quantities, ask around for discounts- many farmers provide a large discount per pound when you don't buy those teeny baskets....
Deb

I wholeheartedly agree, as I said in the other recent thread where we griped about this. And the CSA's are even worse!

"Its raining today we cant deliver"
Sorry but I know you didnt wake up this morning to hit the fields and harvest. And even if you did so what? You are going to get wet? So what you are saying is you can't meet me downtown in the parking lot at the pick up location simply because its wet outside. The problem is you cant magically extend the growing season, which means if you dont give me my basket this week there is no guarantee I will get a week added on at the end.

"We now have farm fresh eggs!"
That are priced more expensive than the same eggs, from the same farm, currently being sold at the highest priced natural/organic market in town. And when my email called you on it, you didnt respond.

Or my favorite one, if you are an employee of KY Bison, and are selling meat direct to consumers here at the farmers market, then why is the price of the same meat less expensive at ValuMarket 2 miles down Bardstown Rd?

This topic pushes my hot button!

The price can vary within the same Farmer's Market as well. I've seen eggplant at the St. Matthew's one for $2 a pound at one booth and $2.50 an eggplant at another. Or blackberries for $4 or $6 a pint- yikes!

Economics 101: demand vs. supply. If people are willing to pay it, well,.......

My wife and I are farmers market vendors as well as shoppers. The thing to keep in mind is that when you shop at the farmers market you're not just paying for produce, you're paying to look the grower in the eye and talk with them about the care and passion they have for what they're doing. Compare a Florida tomato from the big groceries to one that was picked that morning or the day before and that has traveled less than 100 miles to get to you, one that hasn't had all the flavor bred out of it just so it can travel. Believe me, nobody's getting rich. It is much more expensive to grow organically or even naturally than to flood your field with Round Up. By shopping at the farmers market you are supporting your local economy. That's what you pay for. In our experience the pricing is commensurate with the quality. The farmers market is an experience. Spend some time talking with the growers about how they do what they do and why they do it and not be impressed by their commitment and dedication to bringing you a quality product. If you care about local food culture, support your local farmers. There's a reason Wal-Mart's cheap. In this case you get what you pay for.

you're paying to look the grower in the eye and talk with them about the care and passion they have for what they're doing.

Im not trying to start an internet spat, but come on be serious.
Most of the farmers markets I have been to here in town they are so busy, they hand you what you need, get your money and then they are off to take care of the next person needing assistance. They may be nice about it but they are busy and in a hurry.
Additionally it seems only half the booths are staffed by the actual owners/operators. Others just have college kids or hands working in them.

By the way I am a huge fan of your stuff! Your wife and you are great people. I use that hotter than heck first batch of Mustard de Provence you made still. I add a little dab (which is all you need its got so much kick) to every pork marinade I make. I think I have 5 different jars of your stuff in my fridge right now!

My wife and I are farmers market vendors as well as shoppers. The thing to keep in mind is that when you shop at the farmers market you're not just paying for produce, you're paying to look the grower in the eye and talk with them about the care and passion they have for what they're doing. Compare a Florida tomato from the big groceries to one that was picked that morning or the day before and that has traveled less than 100 miles to get to you, one that hasn't had all the flavor bred out of it just so it can travel. Believe me, nobody's getting rich. It is much more expensive to grow organically or even naturally than to flood your field with Round Up. By shopping at the farmers market you are supporting your local economy. That's what you pay for. In our experience the pricing is commensurate with the quality. The farmers market is an experience. Spend some time talking with the growers about how they do what they do and why they do it and not be impressed by their commitment and dedication to bringing you a quality product. If you care about local food culture, support your local farmers. There's a reason Wal-Mart's cheap. In this case you get what you pay for.

I'm not comparing our local markets to grocery stores, my complaint is when I'm travelling with-in the region to other big cities like Nashville, St. Louis or Cincinatti, I usually like to visit the local farmers markets. Time and time again, I notice that the prices are sometimes consistant on some items like meat or baked goods with ours; but the produce is considerably cheaper in other places. My recent visit to Nashville was a great example. Here are some notable differences compared to my visit to Bluegrass Christian this week:
Heirloom Tomatoes in Nashville were 2 each for $1.00(see picture above) here they were anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 per lb.
Cucumbers were $.50 for 2 each as opposted to a buck a piece here.
Green Peppers $.50 each as opposed to a buck a piece here.
Corn was 1/2 dz. for $2.00. I didn't buy any corn his week but its usually around $3.50 for the same thing.
So I don't buy into the argument that it costs that much more to grow here in Kentucky than Tennessee. And personally the "experience" you mentioned is usually better in other city's as most have a dedicated central building with buskers, a food court and flea market, rather than having several scattered all over the place in random parking lots.( Although I do really like the setting at Douglass Loop)

One other thing I notice is prices can widely vary from vendor to vendor at other city's markets as I walk around to check prces and quality before making my purchases, a real free market that makes it more competitive.
Here locally, with the consistent high prices from vendor to vendor, I am probably safe to assume that there is some sort of "gentlemans agreement" between vendors that the prices are informally "set" before the market opens so no one vendor "undercuts" anyone else with lower prices. So of course they are going to sell at a price as high as the market will bear.

I understand that farmer's markets can be high. I think it does boil down to pricing being regulated by the market. If the market bares the price then that is what people charge. If you feel it's too much others clearly see it as being worth it. If the produce is too high for you, the next guy in line is clearly paying it or the price would drop. Part of this is the affluence of Louisville markets, it's a double edged sword. It's great to see farmers as price setters instead of price takers, but also tough for more frugal shoppers.

On the opposite side of the coin, I'm equally astounded how processed food can be so cheap.