"It sounds like the priority should definitely be to get to know farmers and buy directly from them." - YUP.
what you bring up is a key component I feel to the whole situation. The access to the relationships and markets is lacking in MUCH of the country, and availability of high quality organic produce at affordable prices and fair compensation for the producer is lacking.
What you say about a 2 hour affair highlights one of the major factors for widespared adoption of organic foods in that on the whole they are NOT easy to obtain. We have 1 or 2 items we choose to buy form the local grocer, elsewise we choose to buy bul thorugh co-op or take the 2 hour trip to a larger town to get the goods that we or our commnuity doesn't produce.
It's a complex issue isn't it, thanks for weighing in.