Wisconsin farmers say buying local is an alternative amid skyrocketing grocery prices

Buying produce at the local farmers market can be a romantic experience, according to Tony Schultz, owner of Stoney Acres Farm in Athens, Wisconsin. It can also be a practical one, he said, but not everyone thinks of it that way.

As worries grow over the rising cost of groceries, Schultz and other small Wisconsin farmers say that buying food from local sources could be a good alternative for shoppers. They said that buying food locally can provide a greater connection to your community and can support farmers during a time of uncertainty for them.

“We need to do our best to keep our dollars local. That’s how we create resilient food systems and resilient small businesses and resilient communities,” said Sarah Leong, owner of Squashington Farm in Mount Horeb.

Both Stoney Acres and Squashington Farm are community-supported agriculture farms, also known as CSA farms. They sell seasonal shares to consumers, who then receive produce during the growing season.

“People subscribe to my farm like you would subscribe to a magazine, but instead of getting a magazine, you get a box of fresh, seasonal, organic produce delivered to your neighborhood,” Schultz said.

Some CSA farms deliver boxes to a customer’s doorstep containing produce that was picked that week, and others operate as a farmers market that customers can go to and select their own produce.

CSA farms were very popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Schultz said, but they have lost popularity over the last decade. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, people gained a renewed interest in them as they isolated at home and avoided grocery stores. And while the number of purchased shares in CSAs has started to drop, farmers said their popularity during the height of the pandemic showed them that local food sources can be a stabilizing force during uncertain times.

“I think sometimes when that happens, having a little bit of a grounding place and supporting your local farms and communities can be a good place to land your little anxious hearts about things,” said Laura Mortimore, the owner of Orange Cat Community Farm, a CSA farm in Sauk County.

Leong said that buying food locally from farms or farmers markets has a reputation for being too expensive. It can be costlier than grocery stores at times because small farmers have greater operating costs than a large-scale operation does. But in the face of tariff threats by President Donald Trump that could increase small farmers’ costs and the potential loss of federal funding, buying local is one way to support these farms. Overall, the farmers said, CSA farm shares can be affordable and a good value.

“I 100% think that buying local is everyone’s best bet. It’s gotten a really confusing and misleading narrative around local food in that it is more expensive and it’s only for bougie people,” Leong said. “But it’s not. Especially in Wisconsin, there are so many farmers doing so many things outside of normal marketing chains to get food to people who want it, need it, can’t afford it.”

Because CSA farms rely on a loyal group of local customers, they’re not beholden to the same markets as chain grocery stores, which means that some of their products can be cheaper. And because they’re selling food that’s in season — like radishes and maple syrup in the spring, tomatoes and peppers in the summer, and squash and cabbage in the fall — their prices can be more reliable. The fee of a CSA farm share helps pay for the farm’s operations, including labor and agricultural supplies.

Local farms often have the flexibility to work with a customer, too. Orange Cat Community Farm offers worker shares, letting people work a shift at the farm in exchange for vegetables. Squashington Farm offers payment plans and accepts SNAP and EBT payments.

Schultz brings roughly 20 dozen eggs to the Wausau Farmers Market every week, and in early February, he said, he sold out in just five minutes as egg prices at stores began to skyrocket. Despite worries about inflation, Schultz said he won’t be raising the price of his CSA shares this year, and he hasn’t raised prices for the past 10 years. He’s found ways to keep his own costs down, such as driving a hybrid car and installing solar panels, that allow him to offer a stable price.

Even if buying food locally seems financially daunting, the farmers said that the intangible benefits are undeniable, creating connection within communities at a time of increasing division.

“I think people don’t maybe put enough emphasis on, or importance on, having that real, healthful, beautiful, colorful food in their kitchens,” Mortimore said. “And an email from their farmer neighbor who they can say hello to, sharing tips on how to cook it even, having those connections and those little joys, I think, is also a huge part, and worthwhile part, of CSA and supporting your local agricultural community.”

Leong said her customers are invested in her business not just as customers, but as neighbors, and she often gets families that buy shares to teach their kids where their food comes from.

“They want to support Pat and Sarah. It’s not just about eating healthy and about being a part of a community. It’s like, they know us and they trust us and they want to be in our lives as much as you want to be in theirs,” she said.