FARMERS’ MARKET VS. SUPERMARKET: HEAD TO HEAD

By Doug Kearney

If I need a vegetable, I go to the back yard to see what’s in the garden. If that’s a disappointment (for example, if a rabbit beat me to that ripe fist-sized tomato I was eyeing for lunch), my next option is the farmers’ market on South Main in Salisbury. There I find beautiful, fresh, and uneaten vegetables (as well as breads, meats, eggs, plants and crafts) to suit my needs. Only if I can’t find what I need at the farmers’ market do I go to the supermarket for produce.

Why is the local supermarket my third choice for produce?

• Supermarket produce is not as fresh as farmers’ market fare.

• Some items are coated or treated to give the appearance of freshness.

• Supermarket produce typically loses nutritional value as it is transported from California or Peru. (One local supermarket puts a “locally grown” sign on produce that takes less than six hours to arrive by truck. While that’s a step in the right direction, I expect the Salisbury Farmers’ Market averages about twenty minutes.)

• Produce in supermarket bins tends to come from large producers who use heavy pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers to provide “perfect” specimens for the consumer. (Supermarkets do typically carry certified organic produce which are not grown with certain pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers. They are quite expensive and typically shipped across the country.)

• Produce in supermarkets tends to be varieties that ship well, but don’t necessarily taste good. You might imagine that attributes that help a tomato endure shipping abuse and a long shelf life may not be the same attributes that make for tender, tasty flesh.

Why do I prefer the farmers’ market?

• Produce is fresh, sometimes picked only a few hours before I buy it. And for sweet corn every hour makes a difference.

• In general, the produce has fewer pesticides. While none of our local growers is certified organic, several are sensitive to over-reliance on pesticides and petroleum-based fertilizers and try to minimize their use. And best of all, if pesticide use is a concern for you, the grower is typically right there to respond to your questions about growing methods.

• Talk about customer service. Local farmers literally stand behind their produce, eager to talk with you about varieties, preparation, and preservation. It’s like going to Best Buy and having Steve Jobs there to help you buy an I-pod. Well, it’s sort of like that.

• It’s local. That impacts quality, taste, nutritional value, even carbon “footprint”. It’s a little easier on the earth if we buy lettuce that was trucked from China Grove rather than California. (It would also help if we walked or biked to the farmers’ market rather than adding another car trip to our food shopping, but that’s not possible for all of us and it’s another story anyway.) But, and this is a little less tangible, “local” also means transacting with a neighbor, developing a relationship with someone you might see at a movie, church, or even the supermarket. In a culture where we are increasingly isolated from each other, buying food in a way that encourages us to talk with each other and get to know each other’s values and passions surely builds healthy communities and individuals.

What about price?

I went to the Salisbury Farmers’ Market last week and priced produce. That same day, I visited a local supermarket and priced equivalent items there (none of them certified organic). Here’s what I found:

	Farmer’s Market	Supermarket
Cantaloupe	$2.00 ea.	$3.00 ea.
Sweet corn	$0.50 ea.	$0.50 ea.
Tomatoes	$2.00/lb.	$2.50/lb.
Eggplant	$1.50/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Yellow squash	$1.50/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Bell peppers	$1.50/lb.	$1.30/lb.
Green beans	$2.00/lb.	$2.00/lb.
Free-range eggs	$3.00/doz.	$3.19/doz.

The supermarket offers convenience and variety. But on comparable items the farmers’ market competes well in price, and, in my opinion, quality.

The farmers’ market doesn’t replace the supermarket. I may start out at the Salisbury Farmers’ Market, but I will buy from the supermarket everything from the lemons I can’t do without to the Cheezits I should do without, not to mention various staple items like flours, nuts, cereals, the occasional cucumber in February and, God help me, diet Coke.

The Salisbury Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon through October. It is at the corner of South Main and East Bank.