Have you ever wondered whether shopping at a farmers market is more expensive than the grocery store?
I buy almost 100% of the vegetables I eat during the growing season, from local organic farms at the farmers market. My assumption was not so much that farmers market produce costs more, but that organic produce does.
On a recent trip to the grocery store I had a look around and got the sense that the organic veggies I buy at the farmers market might actually cost less than grocery store veggies.
So I decided to do an official price comparison and post it here. Potential spoiler alert, I was really surprised by what I found!
Keep reading if you’re curious about a price comparison between the farmers market and the grocery store. And, whether buying local, organic produce costs more than conventional produce.
How I Conducted My Price Comparison
Farmers Market Produce
For the comparison, I used a recent haul from the Saturday Morning Market in St. Petersburg Florida. I shopped two farms that day that are certified organic.
The farms I shopped were:
- Little Pond Farm in Bushnell, Florida (USDA certified organic)
- Worden Farm in Punta Gorda, Florida (USDA certified organic)
Everything I purchased was grown within 120 miles of my home.
Grocery Store Produce
I then went to a staple grocery store chain here in Florida, Publix. It’s similar to Kroger or Food Lion. I checked the price on the same products as I had purchased from the farmers market.
Whenever there was an organic option at the grocery store, I used that for my comparison. If there wasn’t an organic option, I price-compared items with the “Florida grown” label, if available.
The grocery store did have a pretty decent organic selection on the week I was there (6 out of my 11 items). But, organic doesn’t mean locally-grown.
Cost Per Item vs. Cost Per Pound
Farmers market prices tend to be cost per each item, not cost per pound. So if the grocery store price on an item was per pound, I weighed the item I got at the market to calculate what it would cost at the grocery store. Or I weighed a similarly-sized item at the grocery store.
In Season Locally
All of the produce I price-checked is in season locally. I know that because it was grown by local farms here in Florida. If it wasn’t in season, they couldn’t grow it.
So you’ll notice that certain staple items are missing from my farmers market haul because they weren’t available or ready to harvest during the week I was shopping.
Farmers Market Produce that I Price-Compared to the Grocery Store
- Basil
- Bell peppers
- Bok choy
- Cherry tomatoes
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Fennel
- Lettuce
- Squash
- Thyme
- Zucchini
Is Farmers Market Produce More Expensive?
So what is your prediction?
Did I save money buying local organic produce at the farmers market compared to mostly non-organic produce at the grocery store? Let’s find out!
Basil
I picked up a very large bunch of fresh, organic basil at the farmers market for just $3. I’m going to dry it to use throughout the winter in my cooking. A much smaller 2-ounce bunch of organic basil was $3.49 at the grocery store.
Price winner: farmers market
Bell peppers
Organic bell peppers were 2 for $3 at the farmers market. I grabbed a red one and yellow one. At the grocery store, non-organic bell peppers are $3.99 a pound. I weighed two that were about the same size as those I bought at the market, and they weighed one pound. So $3.99 for the grocery store bell peppers.
Price winner: farmers market
Bok Choy
At the farmers market, a bundle of two medium-sized organic bok choy were $3. At the grocery store the bok choy was not organic and $2.99 per pound. A similarly-sized bundle weighed 1.25 pounds and would therefore cost $3.74.
Price winner: farmers market
Cherry tomatoes
A pint of delicious organic cherry tomatoes at the farmers market was $4.50 this week. Organic grocery store cherry tomatoes were $3.99 a pint for the most least expensive brand. Non-organic cherry tomatoes were the same price.
Price winner: grocery store organic
Cucumbers
I eat cucumbers every day and grabbed three at the farmers market. My local, organic cucumber were $1.50 each. So I paid $4.50 for three. At the grocery store, organic cucumber are $2.99 each. So my three cucumbers would have been $8.97 (Whoa!). Three non-organic grocery store tomatoes would have cost 93 cents each.
Price winner: farmers market
Eggplant
I got an eggplant at the farmers market for $2 which I plan to roast in the oven. A similar, but non-organic eggplant at the grocery store is $3.75.
Price winner: farmers market
Fennel
I love the anise smell and flavor of fennel and it’s a vegetable I enjoy roasting when in season. This fennel bulb was $2.50 at the farmers market. At the grocery store, non-organic fennel was $3.29 each.
Price winner: farmers market
Lettuce
I eat a salad practically every day during the growing season and let me just say, the lettuce can make or break your salad like the bread can make or break a sandwich. I didn’t really love salads until I started buying just-picked lettuce direct from farms, rather than the grocery store.
So how much is it? A bargain I gather… I get two large heads of just-picked organic lettuce for $5 at the farmers market, or one for $3. This week I chose a head of butter lettuce and a head of romaine.
At the grocery store, organic lettuce is $3.99 each. Non-organic lettuce is also $3.99 each. So two heads of lettuce cost $7.98 at the grocery store.
Price winner: farmers market
Squash
I bought two squash at the farmers market. They weighed 4.9 pounds total and cost $8 for two. At the grocery store, squash were on sale for 99 cents a pound. So those same two squash would have cost $5.00, though they would not have been organic.
Price winner: grocery store non-organic
Thyme
I use a lot of fresh thyme in my cooking, so I like to have some on hand. I freeze what I don’t use so it lasts for months. A large 1.8-ounce bundle of organic thyme cost $2.75 at the market. A bundle of organic thyme less than half that size (0.75 ounces) was $2.29 at the grocery store.
Price winner: farmers market
Zucchini
Organic zucchini, aka summer squash, was 5 for $5 at the farmers market. The zucchini I bought weighed 2 pounds. At the grocery store, local, but not organic, zucchini were $2.69 a pound. So they would have cost $5.38 at the grocery store.
Price winner: farmers market
Total grocery bill:
Let’s add it up.
What did my organic farmers market haul cost, compared to a similar – but not all organic – haul at the grocery store?
Farmers Market cost: $44.25
Grocery Store cost: $51.87
Total savings at the farmers market: $7.62
Debrief
Let me just say, I did not realize I have been SAVING money by shopping at the farmers market. All while purchasing produce that is:
- fresh!
- organic!
- locally-grown!
I’ve assumed I was probably paying more, but it didn’t matter because I shop farmers markets for other reasons.
I enjoy the feeling of connectedness I get by supporting farmers who are doing right by the land. The produce I buy at the farmers market also just tastes better and is healthier for me because it was grown without pesticides and in nutrient-rich soil.
What about you? If you weren’t already shopping at the farmers market, do you now plan to check it out? I’d love to hear in the comments below!
To find a farmers market near you, check out the National Farmers Market Directory.
Before You Go to the Farmers Market
If you’re new to this, please don’t go before reading this piece I wrote about how to spot fake farmers at the farmers market.
Some of the vendors at farmers markets are wholesalers and resellers that are no different from shopping the grocery store. It’s necessary to do a little research to be sure your farmers market haul comes from a local farm, if that is important to you.
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