"Ranée at Arabian Knits" > wrote in message
...
> In article
> >,
> ImStillMags > wrote:
>
>> On May 13, 6:40 am, Cindy Hamilton >
>> wrote:
>> > On May 12, 5:50 pm, ImStillMags > wrote:
>> >
>> > > On May 12, 12:59 pm, neen > wrote:
>> >
>> > > > Do farmers markets tend to be more expensive to buy from?
>> >
>> > > > --
>> > > > neen
>> >
>> > > I don't know about other farmer's markets. Ours seems to be no more
>> > > expensive that organic or sustainable foods
>> > > you find in grocery stores. The main difference is fresh, wholesome
>> > > and local.
>> >
>> > Not all vendors at farmer's markets offer organic produce.
>> >
>> > Cindy Hamilton
>>
>> I guess that's true in some places. I just like the market here. And
>> I like supporting local small farms.
>
> In our area, even the ones that aren't certified organic (a
> designation I despise, since the USDA took it over), still tend to run
> their farms that way. Either way, though, I'd also rather that my money
> went directly to the farmer and support local agriculture and small
> farms. The prices at our farmer's market tend to be the same or less
> than at the grocery store for comparable produce. We can get
> organically raised heirloom tomatoes for about $1.00 a pound there.
> Sale priced, conventionally grown Romas and beefsteak type tomatoes, of
> unknown variety and provenance (except for nation or state of origin),
> can be gotten for about $0.80-1.00 a pound. When I can get locally
> grown, organically raised, heirloom tomatoes for the high end sale
> prices, why would I buy conventional from the grocery store? The fruit
> is locally raised and can be purchased dead ripe, for the same price or
> less than the shipped across the country stuff at the grocery store. I
> love our farmer's market. May through October is the best time for
> buying produce here.
>
> Our farmer's market also has these little "coins" that can be bought
> with a debit or credit card that will spend the same as cash, but allows
> people to buy even if they didn't bring cash. I think they accept food
> stamps, too.
>
> Regards,
> Ranee @ Arabian Knits
>

Not picking on you, Ranee. But I have to wonder, how can one tell if a
vegetable is "organic"? You can't. We have no idea whether it's been
sprayed with chemicals or grown horse manure. I find the entire "organic"
thing to be laughable. It's a marketing scheme. Yep, they can (and do)
charge more for anything labelled "organic".

What's up with "free range" chickens? Did anyone actually *see* how the
chickens were raised? What about Eggland's Best Eggs? What makes them
better than buying them from a guy who sells eggs down the road? I met a
guy at the post office who has a flock of laying hens. They aren't penned
up and their beaks aren't trimmed. His hen's eggs cost less per dozen than
Eggland's and I *know* they are fresh!

These labels are all marketing. And the marketing people are laughing all
the way to the bank.

Jill