Save on Food: Tips for Eating Local Produce

Floods in the Midwest and fuel surcharges have pushed up food prices at the chain supermarkets so high that becoming a locavore might be the answer.

Locavores generally eat only foods from within a 100-mile radius. But you might not need to go to those extremes to save money -- just shop at local farmers markets and roadside food stands. Not only are you supporting your local economy, but you also get a fresher, better-quality product.

Make a Trip to the Farmers Market

Nina Planck, an expert on farmers markets, runs the farmers market in Washington D.C. and agrees that shipping and packing are much cheaper when it comes to local foods.

"Just about everything about local and traditional food makes it relatively cheaper when fossil fuel gets expensive," Ms. Planck says.

Most large grocery chains buy produce from wholesalers and in bulk, which traditionally has given them a low-price advantage. The farmers markets tended to be higher priced, but consumers accepted that you paid extra for better quality.

But now, that food chain has been interrupted, with less product coming from the large corporate farms of the Midwest due to destructive weather patterns. Plus, wholesalers are tacking on fuel surcharges.

Restaurants are Buying Local, Too

Agnes Devereaux of the Village Tearoom in New Paltz, N.Y., has some farmers deliver directly to her and makes trips to others. Her restaurant tries to buy as much locally as possible, and while some products are more expensive, like dairy, others are cheaper when she picks it up herself.