Do you know the difference between food economy and food value? Farm fresh and farm fetched? These are just a few of the terms we consider when working to bring you the best in locally produced food.
When we talk about food economy vs food value, we’re referring to food costs. This study from the Economic Research Service department of the USDA does a great job of outlining how food is priced in the United States. Oftentimes more nutrient dense foods can seem more expensive based on the pricing models in the US.
Anecdotally, higher calorie, less nutrient dense foods can seem like a better deal because they are often priced lower, making them seem like a more economical choice. When in reality, their food value is much lower. They will not stave off hunger the way a nutrient dense, fresh item will.
When shopping, it’s important to consider nutrient quality over item quantity. Consider what will healthfully feed hunger for longer with the right kinds of calories, nutrients and fats.
Next up: farm fetched and farm fresh. Farm fetched is almost like a custom order. When we place orders with our local farms, oftentimes they go to the fields and harvest the exact amount we need. It doesn’t sit on a shelf for days. It’s direct from the field.
Farm fresh is similar, but in the way that these items are typically shelved for a short period of time before making it to your home. Farm fresh items include dairy, jams, jellies, meats, honey and more. Farm fetched items include produce, eggs, etc.
As we continue our mission to support vibrant local food systems, we also intend to keep the information pipeline open so that we can all establish a shared understanding about the value of buying local food!
Stay tuned! We will be launching our new ONLINE FARMTABLE MARKETPLACE in early July. This will replace our current phone ordering system. It will be a huge step forward to improve efficiency and serve both our customers and our local food producers. This online marketplace will make available ALL the local products that are currently available for phone orders and the piloted online inventory we’ve been making available over the past two months. We will have more information to share in the coming weeks! Visit our FarmTable page now to purchase through our current system.