How to Find Organic Produce on a Budget

Eating organically is becoming more popular as families are trying to stay away from the poisonous and toxic chemicals and pesticides used in conventional (non-organic) farming. At the grocery store, organic produce can be far more costly that conventional produce and with the tight economy, many find it too expensive to purchase organic produce.

If you are committed to eating organically grown produce, there are ways you can do it on a budget. Here are a few things to try:

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Know the terminology. Everyone knows that produce marked “organic” is organically grown. But many don’t know that becoming organically certified is very costly and many small farmers don’t have the resources do to it, even though they are using organic practices to grow their food.
   
   Look for produce that is “Certified Naturally Grown,” or produce from a local CSA farm (community supported agriculture). If you are buying the produce directly from the farmer, you can always ask if they use organic practices when growing their food.

2. 

   Find a year round co-op. If you live in a warmer climate it may be easier to locate farmers that grow their produce year-round. In the colder regions, try finding a food co-op that has food delivered from warmer climates. Co-op grocers are more abundant in large cities, but you can find organic co-ops that deliver to restaurants, etc. that also sell to the public.
   
   Search the internet for “food co-op” and you can find some good sites that house databases of co-ops around the country.

3. 

   Buy into a CSA. Often local organic farmers call themselves a CSA (community supported agriculture). CSA’s are able to grow their produce by selling “shares” of the CSA before the growing season. So whatever grows that season, you get; they usually pick, clean and deliver the produce for you (so you’re not out there picking your veggies on the weekends)! This can be a gamble in a bad growing season, but it is a way to get locally grown, organic produce for cheaper than the grocery store.

4. 

   Buy seasonally. The best way to save on organic produce is to stick to buying only what’s in season. This means that you may need to freeze produce for the winter, but if you mainly stick to what’s growing now, you will save.

5. 

   Visit a farmer’s market. In the colder climates, farmer’s markets usually only function in the summer and fall, but you can save a great deal by visiting them. Organic growers are becoming very popular at farmer’s markets, but remember to ask if they use organic practices in their growing. Buying in-season, local, organic produce at farmer’s markets is one the best ways to save on your budget.

6. 

   Check out the grocery store. Since organic produce is becoming more popular, costs are going down, especially when items are in season. Try a lower cost grocery like Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Wild Oats. Their pricing is becoming more competitive with the rise in popularity of organics.

7. 

   Grow your own. Even for the busy working person, it’s possible to save by growing even a small amount of items on your own. Check out a book at the library on growing organically and try your hand at some herbs like rosemary and basil, or a tomato plant. Growing even a few organic, often-used items on your own will save you big bucks.

[l4clover]

on 10/23/2009 Helpful tips, Thank-You!!! 5* n rec.

[bfproblems]

on 10/13/2009 rated and recommended! This is a great article!