Excuses, Excuses, Excuses – a cost-comparison

“It must be sooooo expensive to buy local”

Maybe. Maybe not.  Take a look at our cost analysis and how we’re actually saving green (in more ways than one) as a result of the challenge, and decide for yourselves.

Product	Farmer’s Market Find (FMF)	Grocery Store Find (GSF)	FMF vs GSF
Peppers	$1.00 – $1.50 each	$1.99 lb or about $3.00 for two peppers	$0
Tomatoes	$2.50 – $3.00 for about 4 or 5 in a pint (or about 2 lbs – 2.4 lbs) = $.65 – $.75 per tomato	$1.49 lb (beefsteak or salad tomatoes weigh about .4 of a lb. and would cost about  = $.60 each.)	+$.05 – $.15
Peaches/Nectarines	$1.00 – $1.99 per lb	$1.49 – $2.49 lb (peaches weigh about .4 of a lb. and would cost about  = $.60 – $1.00 each.)	-$.50 – $1.50 or +$.50
Milk	$3.50 per pint	$1.29-$2.29 Org. Pint	+$1.20-$2.20
Eggs	$2.50-$3.50 per dozen	$3.29-$4.29 Free-range, vegetarian-fed eggs	-$.80 – $1.80, or +$.20

These are prices we have found pretty consistent over the summer, however, part of the beauty of consuming at farmer’s markets is the prices aren’t strictly consistent. Too many tomatoes that are going to ripen soon? Price drops.  Unlike at chain grocery stores with consistent (besides sales) prices, farmer’s will adjust the prices according to the amount of crop they were able to get for that week.  Regardless, you can see that somethings are more expensive, some are the same, and some are actually cheaper (cutting out all of the middle wo/men needed to get the produce to you, the consumer).

And even if it was all more expensive, the broader, less self-centered picture tells us, it’s not just about our bottom-line. It’s also about our perceived role in consumer-based activism and the idea that the direction of our dollar, added with a like-spending/minded other person’s dollar, multiplied across the country and world, has the power to change the course of business, politics, and the environment.  And, on top of price, there’s the knowledge that the environment, the taste of my produce, and my own health are affected by my foods’ distance traveled (2,000 miles vs. 50 miles is no small difference).

We also saved money in other ways, stay-tuned to find out how.

Still not feeling the price tags, check out these articles on urban foraging:

Urban foraging a pick-your-own buffet. Philadelphia Inquirer. August 2010 Although, I strongly suggest taking a good read at this before you head out – sounds more promising than it seems to be.

Foraging for Fruit Gains Popularity NYTimes. June 2009

~ by 150milechallengephilly on August 8, 2010.