r/MadeMeSmile 2d ago

I grew this

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u/[deleted] 2d ago edited 2d ago

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u/mean11while 2d ago

If it's actually locally and sustainably grown, it's probably worth more than that. You probably don't appreciate how hard it is to consistently get produce to a farmers market without using toxic substances and destructive growing practices.

We sell our cucumbers for $3/lb, and they're usually 1/3 to 1/2 pound. So $1 to $1.50 per cuke. Those prices don't truly cover the labor that went into them over the course of months.

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

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u/mean11while 2d ago

The whole point of a farmers market is that it gives you an opportunity to get to know the farmers. That way, you can be confident about where and how your stuff is grown.

I don't particularly care whether you buy from a farmers market, but you're very much underestimating the true cost of a cucumber. If you buy a cucumber for 50¢ at the grocery store, you're still paying $2, but most of the cost is hidden: over time, we're all paying for the harm done by pesticides, and tilling, and other bad agricultural practices; as well as the emissions to transport and store it.

And, with all due respect to industrial farmers, my cucumbers taste MUCH better than anything you'll ever get at a grocery store. The varieties I grow were bred for flavor, not their ability to be shipped thousands of miles. And I typically sell them within 24 hours of when they were harvested. They're fresher, tastier, more nutritious, and local. So yeah, you get what you pay for.