Harrogate Market Faces Fuel Cost Challenges, Maintains Steady Prices for Customers
Harrogate Plants and Produce, a market in Claiborne County, Tennessee, is grappling with rising diesel fuel costs, which have significantly increased the cost of transporting produce. Despite these challenges, the market is committed to keeping prices steady for its customers, many of whom are from low-income areas. The cost of watermelons, for example, has risen from $280-$300 per bin to around $500, yet the market continues to sell them at $10 each, just breaking even. The market's owner, Heather Spade-Lawson, emphasizes the importance of community support and is absorbing the additional costs to avoid passing them on to customers. 
