“ He doesn ’ t know that my seed is up $ 5 , and my baskets are up $ 3 ,” she says . “ Inflation is hitting us at our resources and then we either have to up our prices to the customers or we have to eat it . And sometimes you can ’ t .”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates the Consumer Price Index , the most widely referenced measure of inflation , using the average change over time in the cost of a “ market basket of consumer goods .” Those goods include some of the things that might fill a real basket at the farmers market , including eggs , potatoes and apples , as well as other routine purchases like gasoline and rent . ( Economists , however , prefer to consider inflation through the lens of the “ core CPI ,” which excludes food and energy because those categories have the most volatile prices .)
In June , the annual inflation rate for all items hit 9.1 percent — the highest in 41 years . As of August , it was at 8.5 percent . In a survey Pew Research Center conducted this spring , seven in 10 respondents said inflation was the country ’ s top problem .
“ It makes it harder to sell your food when people are so worried about prices ,” says Jahoda , who runs Shared Abundance Organic Farm . “ They ’ re not just choosing for their health or their menu anymore . They ’ re choosing by what they can afford .”
Absorbing costs , adjusting prices
The proprietors of Amador County ’ s Underdog Acres have faced their share of challenges their first year in business . After starting their first mushroom crop in October 2021 , they experienced a record snow this spring ; a few months later , they had to evacuate because of a wildfire . In early July , they kept their eyes on the Electra Fire , which also threatened the area .
But during a Wednesday morning market in June with California ’ s Capitol in view , the Youngs are in good spirits . Levi and Courtney ’ s 11-month-old , River , smiles in a playpen behind Underdog ’ s display of oyster mushrooms , while Courtney touts the product ’ s health benefits . “ Mushrooms are protein , they ’ re nutrient-dense and immune-boosting ,” she says . “ It ’ s just a crop I really believe in .”
The Youngs sell their mushrooms at markets in Sacramento and Amador
Ron Antone , lavender vendor and site coordinator at the Sutter Creek farmers market , says customers are willing to pay for quality at farmers markets .
“ If we can survive this economy then we can survive anything else .”
Taylor Zapata , owner , Wheatland Natural Beef
counties . Courtney said that higher costs have limited the varieties they grow . They originally planned to offer four mushroom varieties year-round , three of which use a more costly sawdust substrate . But recently they ’ ve focused on oyster mushrooms , which grow more quickly , with the less expensive straw substrate .
They also sell mushrooms wholesale to restaurants in the two counties , which they deliver two to four times per week . Gas prices hit an all-time high in the Sacramento region in mid-June , according to AAA . Nationally , prices jumped nearly 60 percent that month from the previous year , according to the BLS .
Courtney says it isn ’ t a good time to raise prices , and they even lowered their wholesale prices to stay competitive . “ We ’ ve been absorbing a little bit of that cost , especially as we ’ re building business ,” she says . Other market vendors who have been at it a while have had to pass those rising costs onto the customer .
Taylor Zapata says she had to raise her prices after she took on management of Wheatland Natural Beef after her father , Larry Benninger , passed away in December . She and her husband Zach raise and sell beef , pork and lamb products at markets in Rocklin , Lincoln and Sacramento . Zapata says they raised their ground beef prices by $ 1 and $ 2 for prime cuts , but that they always have something on sale to incentivize customers . Still , fewer people are willing to spend a few hundred dollars on weekend barbecues these days .
“ We still have a lot of loyal customers but they don ’ t buy as much ,” Zapata says while her 3-month-old daughter sits behind her . “ We get a lot of , ‘ We want to support you , but we ’ re hurting as well .’”
Zapata said it ’ s her career as a Realtor that has kept the ranch afloat this year . “ I can ’ t shut it down yet ,” Zapata said at the Arden Fair Mall market . “ If we can survive this economy then we can survive anything else .”
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