There has been a fantastic and enlightening discussion on various blogs about the high prices of local food.
The Ethicurean posted an article by Bob Comis about the cost of local meat: Unfair fare: Why prices for meat from small local farms are too high
Then, there was a guest post by Joel Salatin on Food Renegade that really jumped started discussion: Joel Salatin on Why Local Food Is More Expensive
And, today I just read a post by Rob Smart on Every Kitchen Table that expands on the conversation: Food Renegade’s Local Food Pricing “Debate”
My initial thoughts: All sides of the discussion raise some interesting points. I think adjusting “one size fits all” government regulations is part of the solution. The small scale farm is a different animal than the corporate farms of major corporations. I also think, like Rob Smart, it takes creative, inventive minds out there to develop ways to assist the small scale farmer so they can lower their costs. By lowering their costs, this could translate into a lower price for the consumer, but not destroy a farm’s profits.
If I have learned anything from meeting farmers on my web show, they are not in it to be rich but let’s be fair, they at least need to make a decent living. All I can conclude is that it’s a complex issue and there is no single solution.
Read the blogs and dive into the conversation. What are your thoughts? What are your suggestions?
Good article. We must know Local Food prices as we all must have to adjust in budget. Thanks for sharing this with us. Menus for Diet is also in budget as many of all need this.