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Timmins farmers on why it's still important to support local amidst rising inflation

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As inflation continues to take a toll on grocery prices, people at the Halloween-themed Mountjoy Farmers Market in Timmins this Saturday may have noticed that it has also been putting pressure on local farmers.Children arrived in costumes for Mountjoy Farmers Market Halloween-Theme market on Oct. 1/22. (Supplied)Vendors at the market told CTV News that while they are trying to keep products within the same general price range as previous years, rising backend expenses are making that challenging.

"For example, my organic turkey feed, last year, was $900 a ton and this year is $2,000 a ton," Marcel Forget, owner of Rubber Boots Farm, said.

"On top of that is my fuel to drive back and forth to the abattoirs, so there's definitely a reflection in the increase in prices."

Forget said the smaller farms in this region lack the ability to absorb those extra costs, compared to larger producers that supply franchise grocery stores.

Plus, Sarah Graham of the family farm Graham Acres, said working in the north already comes with some extra expenses, in terms of relying on southern Ontario services to bring products to market.

And so rising supply chain costs have to be passed down to customers in some products, she said.

"(For) our sausage and pepperettes, we've had to raise our prices, just because the cost of producing them has gone up," said Graham.

"Other than that, we have pretty much stuck to the same ballpark prices, when it comes to our veggies and everything."

The owner of Smooth Rock Falls grocer Sunrise Orchards and Produce, Marion Veens, said southern farmers have been willing to adjust the pricing of produce that otherwise would be difficult to find at a northern market, so that people in the region can have access to food that's more difficult to grow up north.

Veens said that's a result of long-time relationships in the agriculture industry, recognition of higher costs of living in this region and a willingness to make sure people can have quality food.

"We're all in this together," said Veens.

"We just want to get people to our local farmers markets, right to the farms, to support local farmers. This is how it should be."

To that point, Graham said, the difference between markets in northern Ontario and those in larger southern cities, is that other farmers markets may look to charge people a premium for a small town experience. Whereas here, she explains, customers from down south have found that northern markets don't look to price gouge, but to provide locally-grown food at an affordable cost.

Graham adds that though some products may be more expensive than what people may find in a grocery store, there is peace of mind that the money is staying within the community.

She said that could be part of the reason why more people seem to have been coming out to local markets this year.

"It makes sense for the people to come here because the prices are fair, the product is good and you know that you're supporting local people, within your community," Graham said.

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