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Want a tip to save on produce?
Head to your local farmers market! You don’t want to just show up with cash in hand uninformed on what’s a good price. The Farmer’s Market takes research just like you would put time into looking at what’s on sale in the grocery store.
There is an easy solution to seeing not only what is in season right now but also to know exactly the prices people are paying! Every day the USDA puts out a report that shows what sold today at each federal market and the sale price. There are 19 federal markets in the country but only 3 in the SE.
When you head to your local farmers market you are really buying from one of two groups: the farmer directly or the person that bought in bulk from the farmer and is now reselling to you. Pull the daily report to help you know how to negotiate with both groups. I now can see what the farmer would have gotten for his produce if he sold wholesale federally or I know what the bulk buyer paid and how much they are marking things up.
In general it’s like being able to see the list on exactly the price the grocery store paid for food before they marked it up and sold it to you! Wouldn’t you love to have that info?
Here’s my tip though… while each market has it’s own report some of them look like a computer blew up. Columbia SC has the easiest to read version and in general in the south all the prices and products are the same. So just use this report.
Want even more help saving on produce? Watch this detailed video on how to set up your own produce co-op!
