There are limits, but also having lived in the same house for 45 of my 52 years, I can say I know this area well. Very well. I could take you to over half of the farms that sell there on a bike ride.
Yeah, I sometimes spend 5,6 hours and $75 cooking dinner for just my wife and myself, maybe 6-8 courses, two bottles of wine, two Verdi operas or one by Wagner. Other people would spend the same money, time and intoxicants going to a football game, concert or taking the family camping. Since I live in an incredible area for food I don’t even think of Whole Foods as being particularly ‘upscale’ or special, more like the bottom of acceptable quality; but then I try to reverse engineer entire meals from French Laundry the way I figure out bass and guitar parts from King Crimson :-)
Time & treasure well spent. When I make bolognese sauce it is a 7 hour deal. Usually takes 2 bottles of wine - not counting the one in the sauce! I make my own sausage. I don't understand how people can go to McDonalds for 'food'
But knowing the source of foods is so critical.