Sep 25 2008
Farmers Markets are Cheaper than the Supermarket
IT’S OFFICIAL! FARMERS MARKETS ARE CHEAPER THAN THE SUPERMARKET!
Wye Farmers Market has compared the price of locally produced poultry, fruit and vegetables with a local supermarket. Market Manager Jen Porter says “we want to show that locally produced food is competitive with and often cheaper than the supermarket equivalent. Local food tends to stay within a 12 mile radius of its origin which means less food miles and less overheads to pass on to us the consumers.”
“And don’t be fooled just because the supermarket label says it’s a product from Kent” says Jen. “All supermarkets use national distribution centres so food grown near to a certain branch will still have travelled by lorry to a central distribution centre and then back to its place of origin! This clogs up our roads and pollutes our local environments!”
“And on price the facts speak for themselves………………………!”
Supermarket Farmers Market
6 large eggs (Kent) £1.65 6 free range organic eggs £1.50
Maris Piper potatoes (UK) £0.79 per kg Local potatoes £0.48 per kg
Carrots (UK) £0.87 per kg Local carrots £0.69 per kg
Onions (UK) £0.88 per kg Local onions £0.49 per kg
Leeks £2.58 per kg Local leeks £1.49 per kg
Braeburn apples (UK) £1.79 per kg “Discovery” apples £0.85kg
Organic whole chicken £5.99 per kg Free range chickens £6.00 per kg
Prices surveyed on 10 August 2008
Wye Farmers Market boasts a fantastic selection of stalls selling fruit, vegetables, plants, preserves, game, cakes, bread, eggs, meat and with prices which won’t break the bank!
One Response to “Farmers Markets are Cheaper than the Supermarket”
Thanks, Jen, for these interesting price comparisons, which expose the myth that supermarkets are competitive on price. Recent newspaper reports and TV programmes have also shown that it’s cheaper to shop at local butchers and greengrocers than at the main supermarkets. Other good reasons for shopping locally, especially at Wye’s farmers’ market, are less wasteful packaging, reduced car use and just much better quality foodstuffs. The quality argument is especially true for the wonderful organic produce on sale (e.g. Ripple Farm veg and Woodpecker Farm eggs and chickens). Even so, it would be good to see more local produce on offer at Wye Farmers’ Market (the current definition of “local” seems to be stretched quite a bit in the case of some stalls), and for the market to offer more space to people, businesses and associations in Wye.