Stretch your food dollar by supporting local farms during harvest time

Buying food can take a bite out of your budget when it comes to Making Ends Meet.  However, now is the chance to get more for your money because it is harvest time in places like Niagara County where a wide variety of produce are grown.

Studies have found that many consumers wrongly think buying from a farmer is more expensive than going to a grocery story.  The reality is, farm-direct prices are usually comparable to store prices, and often, much less, with the health bonus of the food being fresh-picked.

In addition, supporting local farms has a trickle-down effect in that it helps the local economy as the farm will use the money income to make future purchases of things like fertilizer, fuel and equipment from WNY vendors.

At the Baker Farm Market & U-Pick in Ransomville, the U-Pick apple season is expected to kick into high-gear this weekend.  Farmer Jeff Baker said a 1/2 bushel of apples from his farm are less than half the price of what you would pay in a store - yet many people don't realize it.

7 Eyewitness News Reporter Ed Reilly visited the Baker Farm and the Bill & Gerry Kydd Farm in Sanborn to see how consumers can save money during the next few weeks as the fruits of harvest come in.

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