Can Wal-Mart Do 'Local'?

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"directly with local farmers, Wal-Mart cuts out the middle man and saves you money" THIS Quote IS BS!!
Why because the local farmers make more money selling Directly to the customer. They can set up a Farmers Market right in front of their farm! Any farmer cauld do this,& should. You can make 70% margin on your produce, compared to making a 40% margin selling to the middle man(Walmart) SUPPORT are local farmers, buy local, keep are hard eared local cash here, not Arkansas pockets, & heck don't give it to the Waltons too!!

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wilfordsei of IL 9:38PM September 01, 2009

Have you seen this movie? If not, then you may be unaware or ignorant of Wal-Mart's abusive practices. Please see the movie and then re-think supporting a company that does business this way. If you want to support local farmers, then do it directly or via a local distributor or co-op.
Also, I think that mypersonalfarmers.com is providing a great service to the Westchester, NY community and to Hudson Valley farmers. Their company name is incorrect in the article.

Sandy of NY 4:08PM August 01, 2008

like everything else that china-mart touches, they will kill the CSA's and the local farmer by demanding more and more at less and less cost.
Small towns and down towns are vanishing because of this greedy, under paying, no insurance providing, foreign worker exploiting, non-union life sucker, plastic cr*p selling, garbage spewing multinational.
remember this: china-mart does not care about it's workers or it's clientel, all they care about is making money and their stock holders.
If anyone truly believes that a corporation cares about anything else, I have a bridge to sell you.

Thomas Jefferson of VA 11:21AM July 29, 2008

It is absurd to characterize Walmart with the phrase "without so much greed at the top".
With their off-shore front companies, the Waltons hardly even pay taxes-- unless you count their hefty donations to Bush Cheney & co.
Sure, they're the largest employer in America. So why do they encourage their employees to rely on government programs for their healthcare? Why do they force employees to work massive hours off the clock, never allowing them full-time benefits? Why did a Minnesota judge recently find that they committed over 2 million violations of state labor law?
I work with
wake up walmart dot com
Spread the word.

George of OR 6:03PM July 25, 2008

Though we are well off, I have shopped at Walmart for years.
I know that I can depend on their prices to be the lowest on most products. I don't need to clip coupons, and I can buy as many as I need of any item. All of this gives me peace of mind, so I can use my brain power for more lucretive activity.Walmart frees up our money to save for our children and grandchildren.We have money and time to contribute to the many folks who need help to pay their utility bills, feed their children and obtain medical help they can't afford.
Walmart also provides first jobs and promotions for many. They employ more people than the post office. They do all this with less mark-up that other stores. That is the best buy for your money, without so much greed at the top.
Quit the griping and whining about a great American company!C

C.Stockwell of TN 10:03PM July 24, 2008

What the Hudson Valley farmers may soon learn is the science of merchandising. Sam Walton discovered that you often sell more of a product if the profit margin is less. For example, you may sell 10 widgets with a 50% markup and 100 widgets with a 10% markup.
Walmart's profit margin is razor thin. It makes billions on volume though. Hudson Valley's farmer may have to work a little harder to provide the volume Walmart needs to sell, but they will reap the rewards of that hard work just as Sam Walton did in a small town in Arkansas.

Mike of MD 5:30PM July 24, 2008

Most of the farms in NY's Hudson Valley, once known as the breadbasket of America, are still small (under 200 acres) and family-owned. Our farmers produce outstanding produce, fruit, and grass-fed meats, yet the area is losing farmland at the rate of seven acres per day. Why - because the farmers can't make enough money to stay in business, and are selling their land to developers or converting it to more profitable non-food types of farming. Wal-Mart, please stay away from our Hudson Valley farms! They need higher profits, not lower, or else we're going to lose them.
If you want to observe how a local Hudson Valley business is supporting local farmers, check out our online farmers market at www.mypersonalfarmers.com. Our name was printed somewhat incorrectly in the article.
Thank you for bringing attention to an important issue.

Maryanne Hedrick of NY 4:24PM July 24, 2008