Peter Dodge and Derek Marik sample a new product from the company, Simply. Jesse Nemeth rotates produce — something that he said is particularly critical when prices are high. Why do organic bell peppers at Edge of the Woods cost three dollars more per pound now than they did a few years a go? Blame it on rising gas prices, volatile weather patterns, and a labor crunch for farmhands and truck drivers. “It hasn’t stopped,” Jesse Nemeth, a produce buyer at Edge, told the Independent on Tuesday. Prices are going up “more and more and more, and people are getting fed up with it.” Edge of the Woods — a natural foods grocery store at 379 Whalley Ave. — is one of the many grocers increasing prices to deal with rising food costs. Across the country, grocery prices have increased by over 31 percent since February 2020, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Millions of families are borrowing money to cover their grocery bills. So, the Independent wanted to find out: from the perspective of one local grocer, why are grocery prices so high? Small, owner-operated businesses like Edge are bearing the brunt of the impact of these rising costs and prices. Unlike giant supermarkets, they lack the leverage to set their own prices with suppliers, said Peter Dodge, the owner of Edge. Large grocers “make arrangements in the spring before the harvest season comes in,” promising to buy a certain amount of product at a predetermined price, he said. Driscoll’s, a berry company, “might sell them at their contract price, but for everyone else, they boomerang [the price upwards] to make up for” the loss. In 2024, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong held a press conference to share their concerns about potential price gouging by large food companies. In late 2025, Tong announced that his office was expanding their inquiry into food distributors after finding “no obvious evidence” of price gouging by retail grocers. Pricing power, however, is only part of the story. This year’s weather also hurt East Coast farmers: one of Edge’s main suppliers, a farm in Branford, was flooded, damaging their crops and shrinking their harvest, said Derek Marik, a buyer at Edge.  A late spring freeze destroyed blueberry, peach, and other crops along the East Coast, and extreme heat waves damaged delicate produce. “Strawberries can’t have huge heat. They can’t have rain,” said Dodge. Farmers “send their stuff out, and it’s got no life,” turning to “mush” within a few days.  Higher transit costs are also raising prices. The ongoing war in Iran has increased fuel costs; with East Coast farms short on supply, Edge has to take on those higher transit costs to stock cucumbers, cantaloupes, and other produce. In total, wholesalers have tripled the fuel surcharges they pass onto the store, said Dodge.  It’s not just fuel: the cost of labor — both on farms and in trucks — has increased significantly. Thousands of drivers were taken off the road after the Trump administration began requiring all commercial truck drivers to demonstrate English-language proficiency. Compounding the labor shortage, in 2025, the U.S. Department of State stopped issuing visas to commercial truck drivers. Because produce is perishable, speedy and reliable transportation is essential for grocers, Marik told the Independent.  “At one point, there were even bidding wars” for cross-country drivers, said Dodge.  On the farm, the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown has contributed to a shortage in agricultural workers, who are mostly foreign-born. Recently, the White House amended a visa program to make it easier and cheaper to hire foreign farmers, but it’s too early to say whether the change will reduce food prices. These wide-ranging challenges have forced grocers to mark up their prices. At Edge of the Woods, a pound of organic red bell peppers costs $9.99 per pound, up from $6.99 a few years ago. Celery has risen from $1.99 per bunch to $3.25. A pint of blueberries, which used to cost $2.99, is now $4.25.  “We can’t decide to pay 20 percent of our electric bill this month. We have no choice” but to raise prices, said Dodge. Stores across the city have hiked prices, he added, so customers are still patronizing Edge, particularly for its higher-quality produce.  On the margin, some customers are purchasing more conventional items, said Nemeth. He could name only a handful of shoppers who still buy organic produce exclusively. Because Edge does not sell meat, the store has been protected from some of the hardest-hit grocery items. In June, the average cost in the U.S. for a pound of ground beef was over $7, a 12.6 percent increase from last year.  With no end in sight to the changing climate or war in Iran, food prices are projected to continue rising throughout the year, particularly for beef and vegetables. Dodge hopes that different political leadership will “stabilize things” and make it easier for Edge to function. Until then, he’ll manage his anxiety about prices in the same way as always: “seeing [his] psychologists.” “Which is me,” said Nemeth, laughing. “And him,” added Dodge, pointing to Marik.  Even cheese has gotten more expensive, rising from $4.79 to $5.49. According to Dodge, the market has largely recovered from the 2024 cacao shortage, reducing the cost of chocolate. (Phew!) Despite supply constraints, the produce section at Edge is stocked with bright and fresh produce. The post Edge Grapples With Growing Grocery Prices appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less