Screw National Farmers’ Market Week — Part V

Continued from Part IV.

Saturday’s Farmers’ Market was packed when I arrived around 11 o’clock. I decided not to risk getting a ticket and parked in the free parking structure a couple blocks away. The market runs from April to mid-November and is open from 10 o’clock to 5 o’clock. The air was warm, the mood festive, the lines long, the prices high.

Four cashiers weighed the produce and collected money at one stand I visited while two others restocked the tables. They began on the farm at six in the morning and would end at six at night. I tried to overhear what they were charging, but I could hear only two cashiers some of the time. The line never stopped while I was there.

I decided to just ask the people as they left the stand, “How much was your purchase?” Most hesitated before answering because they couldn’t remember. Hardly anybody questioned why I was asking, and for those who did I honestly replied, “It’s National Farmers’ Market week and I’m blogging about our market here.” No one knew, including vendors I spoke with, that it was national anything that week.

This method was much more productive. In about ten minutes the stand took in around $350. That would be $2,100 per hour at the current rate, or $14,700 for the day. If they did only half that business, it would be $7,350. Six employees for 12 hours at $8 per hour would cost $576. I believe the vendor pays an annual fee, plus a small booth rental and 10 percent of profits. So let’s say they could potentially clear $6,000 on a slow day, or $12,600 on a day like today.

At the end of the day the employees will pack up the remaining produce and add it to the shipment for Portland for their Sunday market where, no doubt, six employees will bring in tens of thousands of dollars charging as much as the market will bear. And again in Eugene on Tuesday? How many other markets do they sell at? Wholesale sales? Sales at the farm? CSA? You do the math. Not a bad haul for farmin’, Wilbur!

Give away a generous half for overhead and you’re living high on the hog while your customers are going broke! I spoke with this shopper about the high prices. He said he didn’t mind paying because he enjoyed the festive mood. It was entertainment to him. Easy to say when you’re visiting from Arizona and not reliant on healthy produce for your main dietary.

But what does the farmer say? “I have to set these prices to SURVIVE!” And we are encouraged to do our part to support our local, organic, sustainable, responsible farmer, our local hero slaving away on the farm every day, all day. Excuse me, but I don’t like being gouged in the name of eco-friendly consumerism.

Why Does Organic Cost So Much?

I asked an employee at Market of Choice why organic cost so much more than conventional. He said because it was a lot more labor growing organically and crop yields were less. But I contended that this was offset by the savings in fertilizers and pesticides. That’s when his brain shut down.

At my favorite health food store the employee said it was because the produce was grown locally and of better quality. Okay, so I’m supposed to pay $1.29 per pound for the same ol’ cantalope instead of $0.39 per pound because it’s grown the way my ancestors grew it before farmers screwed it all up by not questioning Monsanto? Because it’s grown 20 miles away instead of grown conventionally and trucked up from California?

My friend Polly shopped her local farmers’ market in Cupertino. She believes the prices are low because the Chinese frequent this market, and they are frugal. But it could be that they were celebrating national farmers’ market week with low prices. Nobody I talked to in Eugene knew anything about National Farmers’ Market Week. Is California more aware? The prices were:

Blue lake organic greenbeans $2 lb.
Vine ripe tomatoes $1 ea.
Heirloom tomatoes $2.50 lb.
Strawberries $2.50 pint
Corn 7 for $2
Grapes $1.99 lb.

Compare these to what I’m paying in Eugene:

Blue lake organic greenbeans $4 lb.
Vine ripe tomatoes $3.95 lb.
Heirloom tomatoes $3.95 lb.
Strawberries $3.50 pint
Corn $0.99 ea. in the store
Grapes $3.29 lb. in the store

Price Comparisons: Conventional vs. Organic vs. Farmers’ Market

Here are some comparisons between conventionally and organically grown produce. Where “grocery store” is captioned, this means a large chain, such as Market of Choice or Safeway. Where “health store” is captioned, this means a small, community store specializing in organic foods.

Continue to Part VI.