Ten Dollar Watermelon

[BlindLemonChicken]

Side note: I spent $21 that day on onions, English peas and apples. Would have cost less than half that at the store but it would have come from three different time zones, climate zones and done nothing for my local economy or bees lol

 

[Brooks_]

I was talking to a local vendor for a farm yesterday and I can see a $10 watermelon because farming (especially organically right now) is close to a losing prospect. Most people can get more for the land than they will ever make farming and their kids dont want to break their backs and banks to carry on the family business so farmers are hurting. I will always pay more for local.

It's one thing to pay more for local, another to pay high prices for a local cash crop.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

It's one thing to pay more for local, another to pay high prices for a local cash crop.

I guess it depends where its coming from. I take it this watermelon cash is going to the vendor and not the farmer?

 

[Brooks_]

I guess it depends where its coming from. I take it this watermelon cash is going to the vendor and not the farmer?

Could go both ways I guess. The ones I buy from are only melons in the back of a truck. So farmer. I haven't been out that way in many years but the cost of doing business was cheaper for these farmers to lose some melons than put up fencing.

 

[Feathers of Eden]

I would pay 10 dollars if the product ,in this case watermelon is something special .

Some crops are more about quality than quantity.

The farmer can choose a watermelon seed variety that produce let's say 4000 kg per acre average watermelon or a seed that produce 3000 kg per acre good watermelon or a variety that produce 2000 kg per acre great tasty watermelon.

The problem is the tasty one cost him double the high yield one and many costumers are not happy or convinced or able to pay for quality.

When we are selling our backyard quality eggs the same price big companies are selling their caged eggs that means people are not willing or able to pay for quality goods unless they are well off or care too much about taste.

Not defending 10 dollar roadside truck if it was nothing special.

We have an Mennonite farm in the area that sells strawberry every season on the side road of their farm. They are more expensive than store bought but they do not last in the counter more than mere seconds.
Everybody is waiting for their strawberries to come out and buy 30 pounds and make yearly jam. Because it is extra ordinarily tasty , people now are happy to pay more but it took them years to be recognized in the area .

 

[SourRoses]

Could go both ways I guess. The ones I buy from are only melons in the back of a truck. So farmer. I haven't been out that way in many years but the cost of doing business was cheaper for these farmers to lose some melons than put up fencing.

That's the kind of fruit seller we have around here too. I don't know if there is some fancier version of roadside vendor, but here the next step up seems to be stalls at markets and then actual store fronts.
It's not like this was some organic farmers market melon, lol. The cardboard sign said simply "Watermelons".

 

[vall]

I've been seeing up to $6 around my part of the state and they are larger than 8lb. I would have said no too.