Beyond the Price Tag: Why Local Food Costs More — and Why It’s Worth It
Every so often, someone will ask us — kindly, honestly —
“Why is your chicken more expensive than what I can get at the grocery store?”
And we get it. Times are tough. Food costs are high. Every dollar matters.
But the truth is, when you buy local food, you’re not just buying something to fill your plate. You’re investing in food that was raised with care, that honors the animals, that heals the land, and that feeds more than just your body — it feeds your community too.
Let’s talk about why.
The Hidden Cost of Cheap Food
We’ve all been trained to believe that cheap food is normal. That a whole chicken should cost less than a fancy coffee. But that only happens because someone — or something — is quietly footing the bill.
How subsidies keep prices low
Large industrial farms receive government subsidies — basically, payments to help them grow certain crops like corn and soybeans. Those crops then become cheap animal feed or ingredients for processed food. It’s part of why grocery store chicken can be so inexpensive — its feed was subsidized, its labor underpaid, its life lived in confinement.
Small farms like ours don’t have that kind of help. We pay full price for everything — from the organic, soy-free feed we use to the cost of USDA processing and the long hours spent moving animals from pasture to pasture.
We don’t grow at a scale that qualifies for big agricultural programs, and we don’t want to raise animals in ways that cut corners. That means our prices reflect the real cost of doing things right — no hidden shortcuts, no invisible subsidies.
And we’re okay with that. Because we believe food should be grown with integrity, not just efficiency.
When food is cheap, the cost doesn’t disappear — it just shifts. It’s paid by the soil, the animals, the farmers, or the next generation.
What’s Included in the Local Price
When you buy from a small farm, you’re not just paying for food — you’re helping sustain a way of life that puts people, land, and community first.
Here’s what’s included in the price when you buy from Flower Cow Farm:
Pasture-raised care — Every chicken and cow gets to live outside on grass, rotated daily to fresh pasture. It’s more work, but it keeps the animals healthy and the land thriving.
Organic, soy-free feed — We feed only what we’d want in our own food. It’s our biggest cost, but it’s the foundation of healthy, flavorful meat.
Ethical processing — Our birds are processed at a small, USDA-inspected facility that values cleanliness, care, and respect.
Fair pay and local sourcing — Every dollar we spend — from farm supplies to labor — supports other families and small businesses right here in our community.
Regenerative practices — We farm with the goal of leaving our land better than we found it. Rotational grazing builds soil, protects water, and restores balance.
Every step takes time, intention, and heart. And while it adds to the price tag, it also adds meaning. You’re not just buying chicken — you’re buying a piece of a food system built on honesty, care, and hope.
Giving Back Through Hesed House of Wharton
Our work doesn’t stop at the farm gate.
We believe food is a human right — everyone deserves access to nourishing food, no matter their situation. That’s why we partner with Hesed House of Wharton, a local nonprofit that serves families and neighbors facing food insecurity.
Together, we make sure that good food finds good people.
While we don’t have a strict quota, we do our best to ensure that about 10% of what we raise goes right back into our community — often more when the need is high. Sometimes that looks like delivering chicken to Hesed House before the holidays. Sometimes it’s stocking a freezer for a family going through a hard season.
It’s one of the most meaningful parts of what we do. Growing food isn’t just about profit — it’s about purpose.
If you’d like to help, you can support Hesed House, SHARE in Wharton, or Blessing Cup Storehouse in El Campo. Or, if you’d like to directly bless a family, you can purchase fresh, local food through Hesed House’s Farm Box program, which delivers it straight to those in need.
Food as Relationship, Not Commodity
We’ll be honest — running a small farm isn’t easy. There are early mornings, muddy boots, long days, and sometimes heartbreak. But there’s also joy — in the sunrise over the pasture, in watching the land heal, and in knowing that the food leaving our farm was raised with integrity and love.
When you choose local, you’re part of that story. You’re saying yes to better food, better farming, and a better future.
Yes, it costs more — but it also means more.
It means food grown by people you know. It means animals that lived well. It means the soil beneath our feet gets to keep giving, year after year.
That’s worth something.
Thank You
To everyone who has bought from us, shared our posts, or told a friend about our farm — thank you. You’re helping keep small agriculture alive in Wharton County. You’re helping feed your neighbors. You’re helping prove that care still matters.
From our family to yours, thank you for believing that good food — honest, local, and full of love — is worth it.
With gratitude,
The Flower Cow Farm Family
