Price is a primary concern when buying groceries, and when the Athens Farmers Market sets up every Wednesday and Saturday, Athens residents have another option to consider when deciding where to shop.
While customers won't notice much price variation across Market vendors, they might notice differences between prices at the Athens Farmers Market and the supermarkets and also between the prices of organic versus non-organic products.
According to the USDA's Web site, certified organic produce is grown without the use of conventional pesticides, fertilizers made with synthetic materials, bioengineering or ionizing radiation.
At the Market on Saturday, Rich Gardens Organic Farm, a certified organic farm, sold 4-ounce bags of Romaine salad mix and all lettuce salad mix for $2.
In comparison, a 5-ounce bag of Dole organic lettuce at Kroger is $3.49 and a package of three Earthbound Farm organic Romaine hearts is $4.99. At Wal-Mart, Dole packages of three organic Romaine Hearts are $2.68.
Organic produce at the Market typically sells for five to 15 cents more than non-organic produce, said Sarah Conley, assistant manager of the Athens Farmers Market.
While produce is the main product at the Market, some vendors, like Shew's Orchard in Stockport, Ohio, sell meat from locally raised and butchered animals.
When comparing grass-fed Black Angus from Shew's Orchard, Premium USDA Choice Angus from Kroger and USDA-approved beef from Wal-Mart, Kroger had the highest prices. Shew's Orchard's cuts were $2 to $4 less than Kroger's, and Wal-Mart's were the cheapest.
Marjie Shew said that the advantage of buying meat from Shew's Orchard and other local farms is the personal connection that customers have with the farmer.
Because vendors grow their produce in southeast Ohio, they sell produce that is in season for the area. Many of the vendors do not yet have tomatoes, onions or corn.
Supermarkets may supply a wider selection of produce, but farmers commonly offer several varieties of their respective specialties. Rich Tomsu, owner of Rich Gardens Organic Farm, said he grows and sells eight to 10 different kinds of lettuce.
The Athens Farmers Market is open all year on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the University Mall parking lot on East State Street. It's also open on Wednesdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. from April to November.
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Christa Gould
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A customer looks for a ripe tomato among the organically grown produce offered at the Athens Farmers Market Saturday, June 16.
