Barry Estabrook writes that New Study Compares Prices at Farmers’ Markets and Supermarkets. The Results Might Surprise You. on his blog Politics of the Plate. He says:
We’re all familiar with the accepted gospel: Only well-heeled food snobs can afford the exorbitant prices charged for those attractively displayed baby greens and heirloom tomatoes at farmers’ markets, while those who can’t afford such greener-than-thou food-purchasing decisions must paw through limp broccoli, wilted lettuce, and tennis-ball tomatoes at supermarket produce departments.
It may come as a surprise that there has been virtually no formal studies to support this widely accepted contention, and the few studies that have been conducted call its veracity into question.
The study by the Northeast Oranic Farming Association of Vermont is a good one and should inspire more. Here in North Carolina, I've found more complex results after several years of gathering prices in all seasons, not just the summer.
I started the Cook for Good project to question the elitist assumption about healthy, organic food. The bottom-line answer is you can afford to eat like it matters. (Meatless Mondays and actually meatless all week helps a lot.)
My green prices average $5 a day per person and my thrifty prices average $3.21 a day. See how this compares to average food expenses, including the North Carolina food stamp allowance, on the beta version of the updated Cook for Good website (links to this beta site will change soon when I finish moving over Cook for Good classic.
While I've blending my published results to show green vs. thrifty, not grocery vs. farmers' market, I've got the data: prices at grocery stores and farmers markets in the Triangle for four seasonal shopping lists for more than two years. For each list, I collect two prices, the thrifty and green price. Green uses ingredients that are bought with health, sustainability, and kindness in mind. The fruits and vegetables are organic or sustainably raised. The beans, flour, milk, and butter are organic.if possible. Eggs are organic or from local, free-range chickens.
In 2008, I was refining my lists. For 2009, I have prices for every month, not just the summer. That's 48 sets of prices for lists containing 100 ingredients, comparing farmers' market prices to grocery prices and organic/green to conventional. For 2010, I gathered prices just once a quarter, for 16 sets of prices. The prices come from the Food Lion, Whole Foods, the State Farmers' Market, and the Durham, Western Wake, or Carrboro Farmers' Markets. For produce and some of the dairy, I was able to compare farmers' market and grocery prices, but some items such as canned tomatoes, oils, and spices were only available at grocery stores.
Here's what I found:
- Prices and quality are usually but not always better at the farmers' markets for thrifty and green produce. After all, grocery stores run loss leaders and can make up for bad weather by drawing from a wider range of sources. For example, in November, I found organic chard for $4 a pound at Whole Foods (in 12-ounce bundles) but only $1.35 a pound at the farmers' market. That same month, organic spinach was $3.74 a pound at Whole Foods and $8 a pound at the farmers' market.
- Variety for in-season food is better at the farmers' market most of the year, but the grocery stores offer more from late fall to early spring. (Big surprise, yes?) But even in season, some organic green beans are hard to find anywhere.
- Organic eggs cost about the same at the store and the market, but only the market offers the superb eggs from pastured chickens.
- Bulk pricing at farmers' markets puts fresh produce within reach. Pay $10 for a pound of fresh basil and make enough pesto to keep you happy most of the winter. Many farm stands will give you a discount if you buy in quantity, say 5 pounds of sweet potatoes or a big basket of peaches.
- Bundling at farmers' markets makes price comparison harder. How does this bunch of beets for $2.99 compare to that bunch for $3.25 or to beets that are $2.50 a pound? I weighed the food I bought, but didn't have the budget to do a statistically significant study.
- The Vermont study says:
prices at farmers’ markets were lower for many conventionally produced grocery items than they were at supermarkets. For organic items, farmers’ markets beat grocery stores every time hands down. Astoundingly, organic items at farmer’s markets were nearly 40 percent cheaper than they were at neighboring supermarkets.
This varies widely by season and item. Again in November, I found organic green peppers for 3/$1 in an end-of-season sale when peppers were $1.49 each at the grocery. Sweet potatoes were $1.29 a pound from the grocery but from $1.35 to $2.50 a pound at the market.
How do I shop? I start at the farmers' market when I can and then go to the grocery store. I feel extremely lucky to have both options.
Want more locavore information? Check out my How Local Can You Go? results for July 2010. Or say hi at Netroots Nation -- I'm thrilled to have won a scholarship! Thanks to everyone who helped make that possible.