TAMPA, Fla. — According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the wholesale price of vegetables spiked 38%, the most significant jump in any category.
"It's unclear how this increase will affect families' grocery bills. However, in the coming months, experts worry that healthy foods like leafy greens and vegetables could start going up in price.
Florida entrepreneur Kim Kenney identified a need to connect families with local farmers. The free website, FarmPixie, went live in May.
"We have 90 vendors signed up," Kenney said. "So for the farmers and the small food producers, they're looking for opportunities to sell their items without having to use social media and being lost in social algorithms. It basically consolidates local food producers, specifically small to medium-sized local food producers. So if you're a cottage kitchen, if you're a farm, if you're a backyard grower, if you're a hobbyist and you want to monetize your passion, maybe, then you can, and it's completely free for buyers and sellers, because I find that there's a need out there for everybody."
Americans are increasingly relying on imported fruits and vegetables. We now import more than a third of our fresh vegetables, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for January.
"We believe food is medicine and soil health is the key to our health," Joshua Young, owner of Young Family Farmacy, told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska. "I like to call it the Victory Gardens model. We don't teach them the basic economy of farming. If you go back to the beginning of this country, 99% of all of us were farmers. Now it's less than 1%.
How should Americans respond?
"We believe that the answer is that we start growing our own food here in a local community," Young said. "The farmers are still getting squeezed, and the middlemen are hedging their bets and using, you know, using fear again, to create the opportunity to make more money for, you know, for the stockholders or whatever."
"If people are able to go to a local farmers market, will they be able to save money, as opposed to going and getting something shipped across the country at a big box store?" Paluska asked.
"Well, I think in certain circumstances, yes, absolutely. If you can buy direct from the farm, you will be buying at a better price, because there's a lot of markup to the broker and then to the store that's going to sell it."
Kenney tells Paluska that people should buy in season, grow at home, and in some cases, her website allows people to barter or trade items —a win-win for a backyard gardener who finds themselves with too much food to eat on their own.
"What would your advice be for people to try to find the best fruits, the best vegetables, and not break their budget?" Paluska asked.
"First, I would start with your neighborhood. Look for your zip code through Farm Pixie. You can find people who are growing things in their backyard, who are willing to do so because they enjoy it. This is maybe a passion or a hobby, and maybe it's a side hustle for them at some point, but it's something that they are, they enjoy, and then you get to have a relationship with them," Kenney said. "Maybe I have something they want to barter with. We're going back to our roots, going back to what's healthier, and they're looking at different ways, like, how do I spend my time and my money? And where do I want to save money?"
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A lot goes into the price of paradise and Michael Paluska focuses on every aspect. From the job market and housing to how Florida’s growth impacts our state’s wildlife. Send Michael tips to keep these important conversations going.
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