Community Chat

[geezerette]

@gardenman 

I wouldn't be surprised if some of our produce stands do something similar here.

I've gone to them on occasion wanting veggies that actually have some flavor, and gotten the same tasteless produce that I could have bought in the grocery store for less.

[mamaslittlepotato]

@gardenman Wow! Very deceiving.

[CelticCrafter]

They are 95¢ a pound at Aldi starting tomorrow.

[ValuSkr]

---

@gardenman wrote:

---

@ValuSkr wrote:

Farm markets around here (SE PA) are universally outrageously priced. There must be a lot of people who don't mind paying a premium for "locally-grown" and "fresh-picked."  But not me.  I buy from stands once in a while but most of my produce comes from the supermarket.

I grew up in rural Western New York.  Farm stands there were a bargain - and, surprise, their produce was good.

---

Here in South Jersey, most of the local farm stands go to the wholesale produce market in Philly overnight and buy their stuff then bring it to their stands to sell it. Very few grow the stuff themselves. It's often the exact same stuff you'd buy in a supermarket. Things like strawberries and blueberries they'll take out of the commercial container and repackage in "farm stand" type containers but they're the same berries you'd buy elsewhere, just at a marked-up price. It's cheaper and easier for the farm stand owners to do that than grow the stuff themselves. They make more money for less work and the customers don't know any better. 

---

@gardenman  Yes, I've seen that at a very well-known farm market here in Delaware County.  I've seen them "repackaging" blueberries out of clear plastic quart containers and dumping them into the green cardboard quart containers to fool you into thinking the blueberries were fresh-picked. So I have no doubt they do that with other things.  On the other hand, we have a farm market near Media that claims to source everything locally and places signs indicating who grew what and where they're located.  They do that in-season anyway; they're open year-round, so stuff probably comes from the Philly market in the off-season.

[gardenman]

---

@ValuSkr wrote:

---

@gardenman wrote:

---

@ValuSkr wrote:

Farm markets around here (SE PA) are universally outrageously priced. There must be a lot of people who don't mind paying a premium for "locally-grown" and "fresh-picked."  But not me.  I buy from stands once in a while but most of my produce comes from the supermarket.

I grew up in rural Western New York.  Farm stands there were a bargain - and, surprise, their produce was good.

---

Here in South Jersey, most of the local farm stands go to the wholesale produce market in Philly overnight and buy their stuff then bring it to their stands to sell it. Very few grow the stuff themselves. It's often the exact same stuff you'd buy in a supermarket. Things like strawberries and blueberries they'll take out of the commercial container and repackage in "farm stand" type containers but they're the same berries you'd buy elsewhere, just at a marked-up price. It's cheaper and easier for the farm stand owners to do that than grow the stuff themselves. They make more money for less work and the customers don't know any better. 

---

@gardenman  Yes, I've seen that at a very well-known farm market here in Delaware County.  I've seen them "repackaging" blueberries out of clear plastic quart containers and dumping them into the green cardboard quart containers to fool you into thinking the blueberries were fresh-picked. So I have no doubt they do that with other things.  On the other hand, we have a farm market near Media that claims to source everything locally and places signs indicating who grew what and where they're located.  They do that in-season anyway; they're open year-round, so stuff probably comes from the Philly market in the off-season.

---

Yeah, it's pretty common. It's hard to grow perfect produce and lots of it. It's easier to buy it at wholesale prices and then resell it. There are a few local stands that only sell what they grow, but they're pretty rare. And they typically sell just one thing, often just sweet corn, or tomatoes. A stand with a variety of things and all of it perfect is almost certainly buying it at wholesale and reselling it. 

[Sooner]

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

---

@Sooner wrote:

---

@gidgetgh wrote:

---

@Mersha wrote:

---

@godi wrote:

I wanted to buy 4 buns for a cookout. I found a package no price on shelf went to register they were 8 dollars!  I did not buy them. They were brioche buns but geez that's ridiculous. I would have passed on the peaches also. 

---

@godi   Wow!  I guess this is how things are going to be going forward with the cost of fuel so high.

Retailers will try to put it in with the cost of items.

---

@Mersha - let us not forget that there are 25 million TONS of grain stuck in Ukraine that they can't get out because of the war. 

---

@gidgetgh 

• The United States exported some 27.22 million metric tons of wheat in 2018/2019, and imported about 3.81 million metric tons of wheat in that time period. In 2018/2019, the United States had the fifth largest production volume of wheat worldwide, at 51.29 million metric tons.

---

@Sooner - I only posted what I've seen and heard on the news. That Ukraine and Russia are the largest exporters of grain in the world and that currently there are 25 million tons of Ukraine stuck there and "they" are trying to figure out how to get it out.

---

@gidgetgh I am just adding to the informational base.  Having been raised on a farm, and reading farm magazines and reports as soon as I could read, I thought it would be nice for people to know where U.S. wheat production stands.  

Not making a comment on your post--just adding to what you said.  

[FiddleDeeDee]

Peaches and blueberries are my favorite; always have been. I've given up on peaches because it's been years that I've had a peach that actually TASTED like the peaches I grew up with. They just have no flavor and are rock hard; usually sized very small. I miss the super fuzzy hair to they used to have.

Blueberries are hit or miss. Recently Walmart has had the best tasting ones I've had in years and a huge container was cheaper than the smallest one at Aldi. I've been eyeing ordering from the Peach Truck but unsure if they'll be all that or not.

I so miss fruit and berries that have a great taste.

[gidgetgh]

I really can't add much to the peach price conversation but I was at my local pop up market this morning and got my very, very favorites, pee wee Vidalia onions.  Much Smaller than the regular sized Vidalias but still a regular onion, it is unusual I think to find them this deep into the season.  

I totally filled an entire clear plastic produce bag with them.  while I was in line I had to hold the bag like a baby.  I was thrilled to find them again because I thought they were done for the year and my stash is running low. 

I don't know how many pounds (yes, pounds) I got, but I also got 4 pickling cucumbers and a basket of strawberries and the total was $12. I didn't care. She drives down to the farmers market south of Atlanta every Friday and Saturday (35 miles one way maybe??) to get all the produce. Allowing for gas, her time, her profit, profit to the farmer and then to the large farmers market....

[CatsyCline]

@FiddleDeeDee    i gave up on peaches because they are all woody inside. they're picked unripe and the stores refrigerate them too cold.   there are local ones but they're small harvest  and  ready in late August. i live too far North for decent Southern peaches. even Jersey peaches not worth it.

[Mersha]

---

@SouthernBee wrote:

I live in Georgia. DH and friend will be going Wednesday to the Pearson Peach farm in Fort Valley. This has been the most anticipated trip each year for over 20 years. It will be interesting to learn the cost for a case of peaches this year. In previous years the peaches have been large with at  least 70 peaches in the case. The trip to Pearson's has been the last three years. Prior to this traveled  to Reynolds Georgia to the Taylor orchards but they closed.🍑🍑🍑🍑🍑. I slice the peaches and add a little sugar and fruit fresh and put them in the freezer. Last year for my birthday- DH gave me Ball electric water bath canner and the electric jelly maker and this year will be able to make peach jelly.🍑🍑🍑🍑

---

@SouthernBee  Since your state is known for its delicious peaches, I bet yours will be amazing. 

Do you plan on canning or making jelly with them?