A few years ago I read a rather testy letter to the editor of the paper in response to a letter another man had written. To the effect he purchased his fresh fruits and vegetables from a produce store instead of from a grocery store. The letter writer angrily stated she was "glad" he could afford the fresh produce from the shop. But people like her on budgets had to go to the chain grocery stores for lower prices and often less than fresh produce.
I usually shop at produce stores and its my experience that their produce is lower priced than grocery stores and fresher. On occasion the chain grocery stores have a sale on something and underprice the independent produce stores but for the most part I see much lower prices.
There are several produce stores near where I live. Several of them are on farms and sell strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries while they are in season. Some of them have tables set up in the driveway while others are in closed areas, such as a remodeled shed or garage. Some of them sell other produce as well. Many of these smaller operations are open during the summer while the corn or berries are ripening. Other produce stores are larger and are open year round bringing in their wares from wholesalers in the winter months. In the summer time there are at least ten fresh produce stores within a ten minute drive of my house.
A 10 pound bag of potatoes for .99 cents is a pretty good deal and not one that I'd see in a grocery store. I love grapes and can usually get them for half the price they're selling for in the grocery stores. I sometimes go over to the flea market held in the local fairgrounds and wholesalers have all kinds of produce for good prices. I bought three bunches of asparagus for $5 and I bought a big bag of mixed nuts for $5.
Instead of heading to the grocery store the next time you need tomatoes or apples, look around for a local fresh produce store. You might be quite pleasantly surprised by the prices and the quality.
