buying local vs buying cheap

With summer approaching, it's time for farmers markets to start opening their stands up with fresh local produce and meats. There are a lot of factors that go into buying produce locally vs buying from big stores like superstore or walmart.
For your money, obviously buying from the bigger stores are going to get you more bang for your buck. But here in lies a few problems. For one, how many of you honestly know where that produce comes from? what pesticides they use to help them grow faster or what kind of waxes and substances they are sprayed with in order to keep them 'fresh' while they travel from - where ever - to your grocery store.
You can always go for the organic option, but do you know what the laws are when it comes to being able to call something "organic"?
A lot of "organic" food isn't actually pesticide, GMO, or additive free. In fact, there's no rule against naming your company so and so organic as a marketing ploy. Meaning the box can say organic, but what you're eating isn't actually organic.
As with everything, the best course of action if you're going to shop at the big stores, is to be educated. Find out where your produce comes from. Find out the laws and regulations for calling something organic in that state/province.
The biggest complication we're going to face this year in Alberta, is the fact that most of our produce comes from California. Where they are experiencing recording breaking droughts this year. No rain means a smaller amount of produce that can be imported into Canada. Which means that the cost of the produce that can make it in, is going to skyrocket.
This is where local farmers markets come into play. Most of the retailers in Edmonton at these farmers markets are local, within 100kms, and sell on the weekends what they harvested during the week. Not only that, but you have the chance to talk to the people who literally picked that produce from the ground. You can ask them questions like what they use for fertilizer, how the harvest, when they harvest etc etc.
Sure, you're going to pay a slightly higher premium at a farmers market. But you're supporting local businesses. You're stimulating the local economy. And realistically, with the ever rising cost of imported produce, the cost difference isn't going to be that dramatic.
I hit up the south common farmers market today and got 1lb of asparagus, 1lb of beets, 1lb of carrots, a basil plant and a jar of pickles for 22 bucks. I helped local farmers and I can promise you that these pickles are legit the best pickles I have ever had - not to mention the taste of fresh locally grown carrots and beets are kind of the best thing ever.
Support local when you can! It's worth the extra 25 cents!