Thursday, March 19, 2009

Your Questions Answered... My Produce Box

I will be spending the rest of my day away from my computer at a Health Fair. I am looking forward to meeting people interested in being healthier! Before I leave, I want to answer a question I've heard from multiple readers. The questions boils down to: "I would love to have an economically viable source for organic vegetables! Where do you get your Produce Box?"

We are very blessed to be in the right place to purchase this biweekly produce box. It is full of a variety of organic fruits and vegetables at a price comparable to conventional produce at a grocery store -- far cheaper then organic at the market! This is one huge way we are able to keep our grocery budget down. It helps for two reasons. First and most obvious, we are able to obtain a great deal of produce much cheaper than if I were to pick the items up at the store. Second, we find that I purchase less at the grocery store since we "have to eat" so much produce. Good for our health. Good for our budget.

What about where you are? Our box comes from a Global Organics Co-op. They have numerous groups in the Southeast. Unfortunately, they don't have an online listing of local co-ops, but you can call 877.952.1198 for a drop near you.

If you are outside the Southeast, the first place to look is LocalHarvest.org. Unfortunately, most CSAs are not as cheap as the co-op I participate in, but it is worth doing some investigation to find a suitable source near you. Ask around at your local health food store. Also I have found that homeschoolers often organize these co-ops, so perhaps you could ask at the library for possible homeschool contacts. I know this seems like a very indirect way, but if you really want cheap, organic produce, it is worth the investigation. Oh, by the way, people have found me through my librarian!
Remember too that growing your own produce is a huge budget booster! We have had success with patio plants in the past, but are not in a location where we can grow a large garden. More on patio gardening in future posts!

2 comments:

Noel said...

I would love to try the spaghetti squash thing, BUT whenever we've tried squash before it had such a bitter taste the family, including and mostly Daddy, would NOT eat it. I remember squash being so good and such a comfort food growing up, but now I just can't seem to find something that works!

Amy Ellen said...

Hmmm. I have had a few bitter squashes. But lately, they have been quite sweet and flavorful. Do you think you just got some bad produce? Do you think it might have been past its prime?