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Finding Value at San Diego’s Farmers Markets

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

By Christina Harrison

Find peace of mind when it comes to your produce - at your local farmers market. 

At the rustic Rancho Bernardo farmers market on Friday mornings, Brian Schneider keeps up friendly conversations with his customers. While hand-sorting brilliant red and yellow cherries, he offers potential customers a sample with a smile.  A walk through this or one of San Diego’s 38 other farmers markets can be a whirl of vivid colors and friendly faces — a great way to lift your spirits and find beautiful, fresh produce. 

It can also give you peace of mind when it comes to food for your table. The produce has the increasingly rare and intriguing quality of being grown the old-fashioned way — on nearby farms and orchards, with sustainable, pesticide-free, organic or hydroponic methods, and a guaranteed infusion of California sunshine.  As some local farmers would say, “naturally.”

But will shopping at farmers markets bust your budget?

Weighing In: Price and Value

Each farmers market differs slightly in available produce, and since foods are grown seasonally, you may not see some items you would see at the grocery store. But you can find a variety of vendors with similar produce to choose from, and you will always find fabulous-tasting fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices.

How reasonable? We’ve done some research on common fruits and veggies and compared local farmers’ prices to major-name grocery stores.

On average, produce at farmers markets costs 41 percent more than the lowest-cost alternatives at large commercial grocery stores. But farmers markets are only 4 percent more than organic produce at the same brick-and-mortar stores.

Three items in our comparison — potatoes, carrots and celery —  were disproportionately more expensive than the other 11 items.

When not used in the comparison, farmers markets were only 21 percent more expensive than the lowest-cost commercial alternatives at grocery stores, and actually less expensive than some organic produce. Smart shoppers, then, can save a little money on some items, and get great value and peace of mind at farmers markets.

“You have to think about what you’re getting,” said Lynne Johnson, of Valley Center's Behneman Family Farms. She and other growers shared several key points: 

• The produce is the freshest you’ll find — picked that morning, or the day before market.

• Your food has only been shipped from as far as the local farm.

• You get to speak face-to-face with the person who grew it and picked it.

• Growers use earth-friendly and people-friendly methods, and are certified twice yearly by the California Federation of Certified Farmers’ Markets.

• When you buy local, you are also supporting your neighbors and San Diego’s economy.

 

San Diego’s 39 certified farmers markets continue to bring simplicity and quality. But don’t expect to always find per pound pricing.

“[Carrots are] just in bunches, we don’t do it per pound,” said one busy Escondido vendor. “You know, we just do what seems good – we’re just farmers in the field, making bunches!”

So if you feel like fresh strawberries today, or basil or zucchini picked this morning, with no pesticides, no herbicides, "no nothing!" as the farmers say, we suggest you take a look.

Or, rather, have a taste.  Step off the curb and under the white canopies. 

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