Why are food prices high ... and what can be done to lower costs?

The Jefferson Exchange

Chris and Melanie Jagger grow six acres of vegetables i the Applegate Valley of southern Oregon, using succession planting, greenhouses for season extension, and a comprehensive soil fertility program that includes cover cropping, green manures and crop rotation.(Shawn Linehan Photography)

One of the lingering messages from this past election that resonated with much of the electorate was concern over high food prices. Voters asked: Why are food prices high, and what can be done to lower them?

But the average American lacks a working knowledge of the food production system and the costs involved from growing food, to packaging and distribution to grocery stores where consumers experience the cost.

On this Exchange, we talk to Alison Sexauer, Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Food System Network, and Chris Jagger, an organic farmer and owner of Blue Fox Farm in southern Oregon, an organic vegetable farm in the Applegate Valley. He is also the owner of Blue Fox Agricultural Services, a full-service agricultural supply and consultation company focusing on ecological solutions for the modern farmer.

Chris Jagger (owner of Blue Fox Farm) and Alison Sexauer (Executive Director of the Rogue Valley Food System Network) join Mike Green (JPR host) in the studio on Dec. 17, 2024.(JPR Senior Producer Natalie Golay)

We'll learn more about how food is grown in the Rogue Valley and the costs involved in the supply chain that influences the price at the store. We'll also discuss the volume of food production, the economics of scale, and how and why herbicides are used ... or not. We'll dive deep into the weeds with our guests.