By Tabitha Johnston, The Journal
MARTINSBURG — With fresh produce being consistently available at every grocery store in any neighborhood across the country, it has become a habit for many people in the modern day to purchase their produce from grocery stores, rather than from local farmers — or from growing it themselves.
The convenience of being able to purchase groceries in one location and being able to often pay a cheaper price for them, may seem ideal — but it comes with some unexpected drawbacks. Berkeley-Jefferson Extension Master Gardener Association member and Tomato Fest founder Mary Palmer noted tomatoes are a prime example of this.
“What you buy in the grocery store are hybrids. They won’t come true to seed. You don’t know what you’re going to get in a store-bought tomato,” Palmer said. “They are usually grown commercially, because they transplant and store well. It’s all about the dollar.”
