Shocking prices at a farm stand!

dipat2005
dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭
edited July 2021 in The Urban Gardener

I went to my favorite farm stand yesterday and I was in price shock!! A watermelon that was small but larger than personal size was $8,39 and the 3 large nectarines and 3 large peaches for $3.79 pound came to #13.64. Ouch!

I do want to take one of my great grandson's out to the farm next week but I will certainly be watching the sticker prices better.

The prices at Trader Joe's have been much more reasonable. Has anyone else had such experiences lately??

Comments

  • Paradox
    Paradox Posts: 187 ✭✭✭

    YES, I have noticed that. More on the sweet corn, in my location (SE Wisconsin, USA). Used to be $6/baker's dozen, but now is often over $8!

  • judsoncarroll4
    judsoncarroll4 Posts: 5,490 admin

    Yep, when the price of gas goes up (along with everything else) food prices go up. Welcome to inflation. Once debt is higher than GDP, everything begins to fall apart. If they pass a multi-trillion dollar "infrastructure bill", of which only 16% would actually go to infrastructure.... the dollar will loose more value and prices will go much higher... if the dollar loses enough value that it is no loner the default currency for trading oil, forget it, our economy will implode.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The stands on dirt roads are still semi reasonable but stands closet top population are very high this year. Sweet corn just hit out local stands this week. I have not priced it yet.

  • Paradox
    Paradox Posts: 187 ✭✭✭

    I'm working on 'printing my own money' (read that more garden!). In the last two years, I've planted 5 fruit trees (2 pear, 1 nectarine, 2 apple--only the nectarine is self-pollinating), about 200 strawberry plants, and 50something raspberries. I usually save up all year for seasonal crops--like, for example, I know I'll want like 60lbs of strawberries picked local & in-season to make jam, freeze for smoothies, freeze-dry etc.. and the local farms charge $2/lb (guesstimating).. therefore, I'll need $120 for strawberries, so I squirrel away $10/month for strawberries. Anything that is seasonal or that I stock up infrequently is part of that calculation.


    BUT! I took the strawberries OFF that list this year! I produced everything that i needed. Granted, I need to get in there and thin out the crowns after they sent out runners last year and crowded themselves (not to mention this year's runners!). Soon as it's not 90+ every day. Anyways... that's $120 bucks that I 'printed' for myself. :) The raspberries aren't there yet, nor are the fruit trees, of course, but I picked all my own black raspberries this year too--used to have to go pick at someone else's place.

    And the tomatoes... I have almost $300 planned annually for tomatoes to make sauce, diced, etc.. The way the plants look this year, so far so good.. I might well not have to buy as much. I did plant over 50 tomato plants, though. :P
  • karenjanicki
    karenjanicki Posts: 996 ✭✭✭✭

    I have noticed it seems like everything is starting to cost more.....

  • dipat2005
    dipat2005 Posts: 1,290 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Paradox sounds like you are taking "money" in your own hands. I like the way you think. Since I live in an apartment complex I have to be careful what I plant. So far no one is interested in anything that I have planted.

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Prices are indeed going up. But prices here are always higher than the prices in the lower 48. Sweet corn is currently 99¢ per ear. Peaches and nectarines are $4.99 or $5.99 per pound. Carrots are $1.99 per pound.

    I could not believe produce prices when I moved here from Florida. Lettuce was sold by the pound, as was many other things I had never seen by the pound before. All I could see was someone walking in and asking for 1/2 pound of iceburg lettuce. lol

    Prices are not likely to go down any time soon. I am slowly building up my growing capabilities and collecting heirloom and open pollinated seeds so we can grow more food and "grow money" for ourselves as well.

  • LaurieLovesLearning
    LaurieLovesLearning Posts: 7,576 admin

    My husband went shopping for a few items this past week. The higher prices have finally noticeably come to our stores. There was always the standard prices rising bit by bit, but now, the food products took a jump.

    We need to think of our cows' more expensive feed as well. We will have one cow less as she is 15 years old and her time with us is finally done. :( With the bull gone too, there are 2 less animals to feed expensive hay to.

    I certainly hope we have cows freshening next spring!

    I am glad we have a cow still milking, but I am not sure how far we can push it this winter. We will start milking 2×/day now to see if we can bring the milk up. As well, I will have to get some cheese cultures in preparation as the unpasteurized cheese prices are now very high.

    We will have to do more adjusting with various things as time goes on. We've done it before, and we will just go deeper if we can this winter.

    We still have to source some honey in bulk from a local keeper to save money as well. I think maple syrup harvesting should be done this next spring as long as fuel cost to go to the trees doesn't make it too expensive.

    I am so thankful that we have a bull to butcher (ground meat!), 2 pigs, a few chickens, produce (fruit juices & veg) in the freezer & some canned, potatoes, an offer of LOTS of squash from our oldest, a good source of wheat & barley, and an offer of farmers sausage at a good price from some friends...being processed today! It's my favorite "fast food." 😁

    It is good to have some foods ready so that we can focus on other areas/holes that we had missed.

    It is a continuing journey, always fine tuning.

  • Monek Marie
    Monek Marie Posts: 3,539 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I grow greens, micro greens, sprouts and a few other veggies in the house. I have two hot pepper plants and one tomato plants indoors that are doing well. I plan to try a few more veggies after thanksgiving holiday. I also have herbs.

    My pantry is stocked to the brim with extra to trade or barter with. I will be getting eggs from someone who I gave chickens too so milk is about the only thing I really have to wonder if I can get, possibly butter, But both I can live without or use alternatives. I have evaporated milk and dried milk too.

    What I do not need to spend money on from a stocked pantry I can spend on higher priced items and not have it hurt. Fresh fruit, if I can find it, will probably be my area where I spend money.

  • VermontCathy
    VermontCathy Posts: 1,987 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Monek Marie I plan to try growing a tomato plant inside this winter. What variety did you choose and how much space did you give it?

  • monica197
    monica197 Posts: 332 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited November 2021

    I remember a few years back I went to a peach orchard and picked a small basket of fruit. When I got it to the register for weighing I was flabbergasted at the price of $20ish dollars. I could not believe it. Sometimes a couple pieces of stone fruit can be exorbitant, can't they?

    ...I wound out canning them and have been enjoying those same peaches over a v-e-r-y long time! LOL