How to save a ton of money by buying fresh organic produce
Welcome to Almost Fit. My focus at Almost Fit is on improving health by doing one thing: Eating real food in moderation. No low fat this or low carb that, just real, whole foods in reasonable amounts. I have lost 26 lbs this year (so far) by eating decadent foods, having a beer or two, and occasionally exercising – though I’m always working on increasing that last bit. If this sounds interesting, have a look around and let me know what you think. Thanks.
In part one of this series (“Want to save money and eat well? Join a CSA“), I introduced one of our primary methods of saving money and eating well: Participating in a CSA. This is part 2.
One of the biggest contentions with basing your eating habits on local, organic, minimally processed food is that it is just too expensive for most families. The truth be told, I don’t discount this opinion at all – in fact, for many of us, the cost difference in a grocery store is more than we can justify. Being frugal has not only become a pastime, in this economy it is increasingly a requirement.
In our case, frugality has its perks: We are actually saving money by eating better – thanks to our local CSA.
I Heart our CSA
We love our CSA for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few:
- First and foremost, the beauty of a CSA starts with the idea that we are eating as locally as possible, both supporting our community and building relationships with people who have similar values. We drive a small distance each week to get our CSA box, and it is well worth the drive.
- Second, the quality of produce is exceptional, and is harvested and cleaned with great care. All organic, no pesticides, and ready to eat straight out of the box. It is picked at the peak of ripeness – not weeks or months early and then left to ripen later with a heavy dose of chemicals.
- Third, having a weekly box of vegetables forces you to do something elementary: You have to eat your vegetables, otherwise they will go to waste.
- Fourth, it encourages you to find new recipes, try new things, and broaden your tastes for vegetable dishes that you may not have had growing up.
- And the fifth benefit has been huge for us: the money-saving value is outstanding. Even when gas prices where at their peak, it was still cost effective to drive out a ways to pick up our box of produce.
Think you can’t afford real food? Think again
Out of curiosity, I decided to inventory what we received in one-week’s worth of CSA produce over the summer, and then compare what we were getting to what we would pay at a retail grocery store. I was truly amazed at the value.
For our $20.00 per week, here’s what we got – and here’s what we would have paid based on our local grocery store’s prices:
All I can say is….WOW.
A couple of things about this chart:
1. The green rows indicate produce that was not available in organic form when I did the price comparison. So, I used the price of conventional for both just to try to be conservative on the cost savings. (Obviously if this was a comparison between conventional vs. organic, which it is not, that wouldn’t be a fair method.)
2. My first inclination is to quickly figure a months-worth comparison of organic vs. CSA (multiply the organic $74.79 times 4 weeks ($299.16!) and compare that to $20.00 times 4 weeks ($80.00!)) and say we just saved $219.16 a month. However, the reality is we wouldn’t have saved that much. Why?
Because frankly, we wouldn’t be eating as many vegetables because it would be more than we could afford.
So to me, the real value is much greater than the dollar-savings. Our CSA actually dramatically improves the quality of food we’re eating because it is reasonably priced and responsibly produced.
That is not the message you get from the food industry, who argues that you cannot have good food at a reasonable price – they posit that reasonable price equals cheaply made heavily produced food. If you want healthy food, you’re gonna’ pay dearly.
However in my experience, if you can find a local CSA and adapt your lifestyle a little to eating seasonally, this argument can be turned on it’s head. Our grandparents did it. People all over the world do it. I think we can bend a little too.
“But don’t you waste a lot of it?”
I know that some people have found that participating in a CSA doesn’t work for them for one reason: sometimes the produce goes to waste because there is just so much of it. For us, it hasn’t happened very often, but for others we know, that’s how it has gone.
Looking at the list I created, you might wonder if we eat all of it – or if much of it turns into so much compost.
The answer is for the most part, we actually do use it all. But we didn’t at first. We’ve adapted our diet according to what’s in season, and learned to cook, eat, and preserve seasonally. We’ve had the occasional tomato or pear go too soft, or the remains of a head of lettuce that didn’t survive after a week or so, but for the most part we use it up.
Granted, there are four of us including a toddler and a 4-year-old (who both ask for salad), so if you are single this might be a challenge. But really, if you start to look at this list in terms of using parts of it in potentially 21 meals over the span of a week, I think it’s clear that you could put this to very good use.
And we certainly did.
So how do you find a local CSA? Stay tuned for the next article.
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Wow all I have to say. I wish we had something this available. We have farmers clubs but they don’t deliver this level of value. When this dell laptop of mine gets “replaced” I think it will just take a permament residence in the kitchen to find recipes.
Colleens last blog post..Mycology Crossword: something interactive
We joined a CSA this year. Right off the bat, I told @wifenkids that this was going to be cheaper than putting in our own garden. We have a 0.6 acre “lot” in the fertile lower Columbia, but the price of the CSA can’t be beat.
Next year, I think we will still put in a small garden, but continue to get our produce from the CSA. Michael and Ruth McKee do a great job of producing fine produce at Willow Grove Gardens.
http://www.localharvest.org/farms/M22195
Gary Walters last blog post..Dad the Influencer
What an informative and eye-opening post! Thank you! I will be linking to this post later in the week…
hanlies last blog post..A rat in my kitchen?
That’s a really great comparison. Going to link to it on my site as a way of showing people that eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive.
Gal
60 in 3 – Fitness and Healths last blog post..Weekend Roundup: Vision Change Edition
Great post……………:)
The idea of having fresh produce around does force searching for new recipes, or rediscovering old ones.
Lisa Newtons last blog post..Blue Bunny ice cream winners!
@Colleen: We bought a computer for my wife a couple of years ago, and it sits in her office space which is right next to the kitchen. It has been one of the best things we’ve done food-wise — I would guess we’ve looked up literally hundreds of recipes, and used many of them. It’s a great idea!
@Gary: Hi Gary! We actually do both – sometimes it doesn’t work out as well because when things are in season for our CSA, they’re in season in our garden too
– BUT, we found this year, possibly through luck of the draw, that our garden choices didn’t conflict with the CSA. So where we grew transparent apples in July, we got Gravenstein’s in August. It worked out well. And we now have a bunch of canned foods for the winter that we grew right in our own front yard. Thanks for dropping in – catch ya on Twitter 
.
@Hanlie: Hi Hanlie – I will swing by FertileHealthy this week – I’ve been out of the loop a bit on my blog reading, but yours is definitely on my list. Thanks.
@Gal/60 in 3: Hi there Gal – Folks, if you have two seconds, definitely swing over to 60 and 3. Gal’s blog is one of my favorites: http://www.60in3.com. Thanks for dropping by Gal – as I mentioned to Hanlie, I’m behind on my reading, but I’ll definitely be in your blog’s neighborhood this week.
@Lisa: Hi Lisa! One more plug from me: Lisa is the mastermind behind IowaAvenue, one of my regular haunts, and a great community. http://www.iowaavenue.com is the place – please swing over and say hi. Good to hear from ya Lisa!
What a good deal…even if you do waste a little bit you still come out ahead and in more ways than one.
Christines last blog post..I Am Confused!
Wow what a great comparison. I haven’t done the CSA but I am a regular at the St. Paul farmers market. I love talking with local farmers and sampling new things. Next year I might try the CSA but since I really enjoy the markets I might stick with that.
How long does your CSA run for Oregon? Our growing season has been done for weeks now, just a few apples and some root veggies left.
Great post and I’m so glad to read your blog again.
Robins last blog post..The Sensitive Seven – Most Allergenic Foods
I can’t wait for the next in this series. I’m totally sold on joining a CSA, I just need to know which one might be best!
Fit Bottomed Girlss last blog post..Smooth Smoothies
Another great post. You definitely have me sold. I am getting on the waiting list now for next spring.
@Robin: Hi Robin! Our CSA was scheduled to end in October, but they have continued for us with winter vegetables which is wonderful, and completely unexpected. Each week we get something we’re grateful!
Funny, I was just thinking of you today and hoping all was going well, then I fired up the feed reader and saw you had a new post!
There’s a waiting list for our local CSA, sigh!
But I loved seeing what you got. My hubby and I could mow through that in a week, there’s not much waste of veggies around here! My trouble is that store veggies are not always very fresh and sometimes go bad a day or two after purchase. It’s a pain, because I have to shop more often than I’d like.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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Weekend Roundup - Hope Edition : 60 IN 3 Says: 30.11.08 at 11:14 am
[...] Almost Fit we have this post about a cheap way to get a lot of organic vegetables. I haven’t tried CSA’s myself but they seem like a great idea for both healthier [...]
Thanks for doing the math!
I had already found a CSA and then started wondering if it was really cost-effective to join. You’ve just helped me make my final decision: Sign Me Up!
Thanks for this very detailed guide and very informative post. This is a nice blog and will be looking forward to read more from you.
As our websites are closely related, I feel the exchanging of links would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. If you are interested in exchanging links, please feel free to email me at your earliest convenience. Thanks!!
I wish we had a local CSA.
We do have a local farmer’s market, however, and my wife and I try to make it down there on Saturdays.
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Nice post, Metroknow. I agree that the cost benefits are not that great for a CSA. You make a convincing argument for the reasoning to do so as well–that the health benefits, are another extraordinarily important reason.
Actually, I think the point is that it IS cost effective. But not for me, being a single person. Fortunately, we have a bunch of Farmer’s Markets around here, probably one of the fanciest (and priciest) in the country, with prices similar to your expensive organic foods. This one attracts wealthy locals and wealthy tourists. The one I go to is the oldest in the country, and it is much cheaper, cheaper than your conventional grocery store prices. I spend around $40/week, including fruit, cheese, bread, and nuts. Surprisingly, hardly any goes to waste. Partly because I have awesome tupperwares that will keep stuff for two weeks in the fridge, and partly because I make a point to eat it. Of course, soup is the ultimate end for anything that needs using. Yummy produce, it tastes so good, better than candy.
julies last blog post..Rain, rain go away
I don’t know if we have any CSAs around here… but we have SPUD which delivers me organic produce once a week. It’s a great service, and they give you a very nice variety!
Jasons last blog post..A review of the ‘Colon Cleanse Pro’ Cleanse
We have a bunch of CSAs around here but I think it’s more fun to shop at the farmer’s market and get what we want.
Nates last blog post..In Memoriam: Ryosuke Yoshioka, the Sushi Man of San Francisco
Found this blog on Twitter and I love it so far — looking forward to reading more. I too love CSAs and I wrote a little about how joining a CSA helped me start eating way more fruit and veggies, one of the “tweaks” that has helped me lose 100 pounds and counting over the past five years. Here’s the URL if anyone’s interested: http://www.nurturinghope.com/tweak-daily-fruits-and-vegetables/2009/01/
Fertilehealthy » Blog Archive » Things I learned this week Says: 13.06.09 at 5:37 am
[...] from Almostfit.com wrote a very enlightening article called How to save a ton of money by buying fresh organic produce, complete with a price comparison table. Certainly eye-opening and worth a [...]