For your specific example though, I'm not so sure. As a counterexample, I buy my eggs direct from a local farm, not in a store. Neither the ease of availability nor the price of the eggs I buy have changed one iota over the last several months. And yet I see local friends posting pictures of empty egg shelves here and there on Facebook. My takeaway has been that the average person has no idea they can buy goods outside of a grocery store.
So back to your point, I buy most of my tomatoes direct from local farmers. Unless people start buying from *them* it is fine.
HOWEVER, if those local farmers can't get parts for their farm equipment or something like that, I'm just as screwed.
> My takeaway has been that the average person has no idea they can buy goods outside of a grocery store.
I’m sorry, but most people live in cities or towns with their only reasonable access to food being via stores. It is one of the wonderful things that civilization has produced and I’m here for it.
For your specific example though, I'm not so sure. As a counterexample, I buy my eggs direct from a local farm, not in a store. Neither the ease of availability nor the price of the eggs I buy have changed one iota over the last several months. And yet I see local friends posting pictures of empty egg shelves here and there on Facebook. My takeaway has been that the average person has no idea they can buy goods outside of a grocery store.
So back to your point, I buy most of my tomatoes direct from local farmers. Unless people start buying from *them* it is fine.
HOWEVER, if those local farmers can't get parts for their farm equipment or something like that, I'm just as screwed.