YOUR FARMER'S MARKET IS A GREAT PLACE TO GET HEALTHIER PRODUCE and SUPPORT LOCAL FARMERS BUT CAN YOU AFFORD IT?

One of the ways that we support the American Farmer and the American Economy is by shopping at our local Farmer's Markets.  One of them is "Organic Only" and very pricey (we'll say double than our Ralph's on many items) though the very fresh eggs are comparable in price.  Another doesn't have the Organic requirement of it's sellers, though many of the stalls do feature produce that is without the use of pesticides.

We previously mentioned that we are often unable to shop at Ralph's or the like - Von's and Albertsons for instance - due to the price increases and, though we support Union workers by purchasing at businesses that have Unions (and livable wages and retirement plans)  and we want to buy American made food as well as our first choice, we have found ourselves shopping a local "Dollar" type stores as well. 

By being willing to explore a bit further out (we know GAS PRICES) to say about a five mile radius of our neighborhood, shopping in markets owned by and targeted to Americans of Hispanic, Asian, and Armenian origins,  some recent immigrants to the United States, we have found a place that has produce that is fresh enough to last a couple weeks in our fridge for not too much more than the "dead the next day" produce from the Dollar type stores.

We still run into our Ralph's to see what's on sale and also what might appear in the back where they have racks of beat up canned goods, day old bakery items, and items that maybe never made it to the shelves in the first place.