Myth busting.... it costs more to buy local

I've long held a belief that it doesn't really cost more to buy locally produced products. Not much more, anyway. I remember hearing an interview with Dick Smith when he talked about a jam producer he was helping whose product cost 30c more than the imported competitors product on the shelves in supermarkets. I always prefer to buy Australian made and owned using Australian grown produce, as I find the quality is better, taste is better, etc. So I don't really think I pay much more for Australian products than imported ones generally.

We went camping this week in the lovely Riverland in South Australia. We stopped by at a roadside fruit and veg vendor between Berri and Glossop and I was pleasantly surprised to find they grow their own nuts. Often I find it hard to buy nuts that say 'Australian grown'. So I bought one bag of almonds, one bag of cashews and one bag of pistaccios. We bought some dried fruit as well and a butter nut pumpkin, all of the produce was grown on that particular farm. I handed over the money and realised I paid probably the same for the nuts as I would for imported ones in the supermarket. And to top it all off, the lady gave us two large grapefruit as a thank you.

I slept well that night knowing that I not only supported a local farmer, but my dollar was staying in the area and the food miles were low as the stall was right out the front of the farm.