You get what you pay for at a produce stand. 

The reality is farmstand produce tends to be more expensive than retail fruits and veggies. There's no way around it: supporting small Idaho agriculture and local business comes at a higher cost. But why? It seems almost counterintuitive to us.

Because it is based on the true price of producing food, unaided by government subsidies of commodity crops, cheap oil, and underpaid (and under-benefited) workers. We pay more for our food than we realize because at tax time we pay for those subsidies. Small family and organic farms rarely get the subsidies, and they often pay their workers a living wage.

- Idaho Catholic Register

 

Photo by Townsend Walton on Unsplash
Photo by Townsend Walton on Unsplash
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Still, Idahoans continue to buy local produce for a number of reasons. 

The mismatched straw and wicker baskets, connecting with the farmer who grew the veggies on your dinner plate, the honor system in place...there's a certain charm to Idaho farmstands.

And a certain taste.

 

Photo by Gregory Hayes on Unsplash
Photo by Gregory Hayes on Unsplash
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You can taste & see the difference in between local & commercial produce.

There's no denying the produce at a roadside farmstand is fresher and tastier than the fruits and veggies that spend three days aboard a refrigerated semi on their way to the grocery store produce aisle.

One of the biggest benefits of buying locally-grown produce is their freshness. Harvesting a crop at its ideal ripeness makes for a more beautiful appearance and robust flavor profile. We're seeing and eating these crops at their best.

If you have an appetite for locally-grown produce, the 8 farmstands below are some of the Boise area's most beloved curbside vendors.

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