Good Food- Worth the Price?

I was talking to a farmer over the weekend who mentioned that he'd just raised his prices because he'd realized that people were willing to pay more for his produce. He was conflicted about the change, and worried that his stuff was less affordable now for people who really couldn't pay the extra money.

A few days earlier I'd been shopping at Pacific Food Importers, one of my favorite spots. I was deciding whether to try a new brand of olive oil or stick with Adolpho's, my long time favorite. I got to talking to one of the guys who works there, and when I mentioned my preference for Adolpho's he said, "Yeah, that's great stuff, but he finally figured out what it was worth, and jacked up the price."

Now, I appreciate a good deal as much as the next person, but part of me is also glad to see people who produce fine products getting fairly compensated for their efforts. I've written before about farmers' market pricing, and the fact that organic produce at the market is often cheaper than comparable fruits and vegetables at the grocery store.

Even if organic produce at the market is generally cheaper than what you'd pay at the store, it' still usually more expensive than "conventional" produce, because it's a higher quality product.

As contemporary Americans we spend a smaller share of our income on food than any other society in the history of the world. I've heard figures ranging from 9 to 13 percent but, whatever the exact number, we're pretty spoiled in this arena. The low cost of food gives us more money to spend on clothing, entertainment, vacations and high speed electronics, among other things.

The fact is, we spend our money on what matters to us. I know people who are barely scraping by who buy most of their food at farmers' markets, and I've met people who live in mansions but fill their cupboards with processed garbage from Costco. What matters to you?