It's really better quality and you get excellent prices as well as support local farms. Can't go wrong. I do it as well.

I highly recommend you do.

I met mine through a local co-op person in town who was already buying there for years. Farming and co-op business goes hand in hand.

After that I'd say the local Saturday morning farmer's market is the best spot to find the smaller local vendors. A farm is a big financial venture, with or without the retail store front. They have the same concern as every other business, with sales being foremost in their mind. Any vendor selling in a farmers market is willing to deal with the consumers directly, so, they may also be willing to sell to you at the farm itself. You gotta talk to them about it. They may only sell at the weekend markets for logistical reasons.

Not all farmers are willing to sell to end consumers. I'd say most are probably not willing to do that. Running a retail aspect means having someone on staff available to deal with customers during regular retail hours. That's a pain in the ass, believe me. It's worth doing when you have enough regular customers. Otherwise dealing this way means you probably have to call ahead to set up a time to drop by. Asking them to reschedule their day so they can just make $30 or $40 in profits isn't doing them any favors. They have to streamline their time.

So, it may not be exactly easy to find a cooperative local farmer selling this way, but they are out there, and it's a great way to buy great food.

I'd say it's worth going the extra mile to find one. It certainly has been for me.