Does anyone manage to buy food only/mainly from local producers? How the hell do you do it?

[Twinklemegan]

Following the chicken thread, I was inspired to to buy my food this week from local producers. It was a complete and unmitigated disaster.

What I managed to get (from 3 different shops):
eggs
cheese (expensive)
UK-grown broccoli (Tesco, take note)
mushrooms
Scottish leeks
onions (19p for 2, Tesco take note)
Scottish strawberries
ice cream
a cake
a steak pie
lamb burgers (for barbecue)
smoked salmon (treat for DH)

What I didn't manage to get this time:
sausages (only ones were frozen in a shop an hour away from home)
potatoes (particularly new, but any without sprouts would have been good)
lettuce

What I can never, ever get:
milk, organic or otherwise
cream

I find that the local farm shops (of which there are very few) are just not reliable in their stock, and no one will deliver to our house. So, does anyone actually manage to do this, within a reasonable budget. If so, how?

I should say that there is a lot more that I might want to buy, and which I would consider to be seasonal UK produce, which I would really struggle with. Whole chickens, for one.

Why oh why don't local producers make it easier for people to buy from them. GRRR.

I am lucky that I live in a Market town, so have butchers (2) bakers, greengrocers, fishmonger all of whom are priced competitively. We have a Morrisons who are quite good at local food although not as good as they were when they first opened. Dp and I commented this evening actually that they are not as good as they used to be.

Mind you I used to live in a market town (no fishmonger though). I found that the greengrocers sold more imported stuff than Tesco's. Does yours sell local produce then?

A mixture, I am sure they advertise for local produce. I am also lucky that lots of my neighnours seem to grow more fruit and veg than they can eat so we get lots of freebies. The kids at school and some staff also bring in food as well!

We also at the weekend will stop off at farmer shops if we pass one which is quite often.

I have noted as well that the greengrocer is often cheaper than a supermarket.

Oh yes, I'd agree with that. I'm currently doing an online Tesco shop, to avoid going to the hell hole itself, and I'm always surprised how much it is. Conversely that lot from the farm shops came to just over £15 which I thought was pretty good. I just wish I could reliably get basic things, like potatoes for instance. There are a couple of great box schemes fairly close by, but we're too far away to deliver apparently. And I work full time which makes things really hard.

I'm going to have to find a way to do this, because I am currently resenting and dreading every blardy supermarket shop with its potatoes from Israel, broccoli from Spain, out of season produce from Kenya, etc. etc.

No I lie, just over £20 but still not bad considering there's a couple of one off luxuries in there.

Do you have any local farmers markets? We have a local shop that gets all of its veg from a local farming co-operative in Kent, it's brilliant. Maybe you could look into starting something up...

There is a local round of farmer's markets, and I should make more of an effort to go. But each one's in a town centre which I find quite off-putting on a Saturday. Where we used to live there was a farmer's market at the showground which was a terrific venue, and it made a lovely morning out once a month.

I also find that the farmer's markets around here focus on luxury items rather than everyday IYSWIM. But I will try again - you're quite right that's a good place to start. And it's still impossible to buy everyday staples such as milk.

Actually I'm sure there is a lot more I can do to help myself. I'm just having a moan. It's so much easier (not necessarily much cheaper) to just give in and go to the supermarket, which is partly why I resent going so much.

OK, one less problem. I've just discovered that all organic milk in Scottish Tesco stores comes from Scottish farms. So that's one thing less to worry about.

Try this site for ideas: www.freerangereview.com