University of Florida study finds backyard gardeners willingly pay double for local food
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Growing your own fruits and vegetables changes how you shop, making you far more willing to pay extra for locally grown produce, according to a University of Florida study.
Florida home gardening produce prices
Big picture view:
Researchers interviewed hundreds of people nationwide to analyze how home gardeners shop. They found people who grow their own food were willing to pay roughly double the cost per pound for local tomatoes compared to non-gardeners.
Courtesy: UF/IFAS
"I think one of the implications from this research is for the home market or for the local farmers, because they can assume, and they can consider people with gardening experience as a new consumer segment that they can target," said Chenxi Hu, a PhD candidate in the University of Florida Food and Resource Economics Department.
Changing shopping habits
Why you should care:
The shift in shopping habits translates directly to more business for local farmers markets and you-pick operations.
Recent food recalls and illnesses have also pushed more consumers to seek control over their food supply.
"Once you know the work, the hard work it takes to grow a vegetable, you really appreciate it, and especially like the taste and the flavor," said Tia Saracino, a residential horticultural agent with UF/IFAS Hillsborough County. "There is nothing like a delicious vegetable or fruit you grew in your own home or locally. It just has superior flavor."
Growing your own food
What you can do:
Horticulturalists say right now is the ideal time to prep soil and start planting in Florida.
You do not need a large backyard to begin. People living in apartments can use grow containers for fruits and vegetables or keep simple herb pots. Hillsborough County also features about 30 community gardens that residents can join and support.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX13's Briona Arradondo, who conducted interviews with a researcher and University of Florida PhD candidate Chenxi Hu and UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Residential Horticultural Agent Tia Saracino.