melik Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I just watch it and I loved it!!! Really made me want to strive for more local organic food. But for our brood of 6 on a really tight budget that isn't so easy. Anyone have any helpful hints? I tried a couple of months ago to buy all organic but we were out of money two weeks into the month. I make a lot of my food from scratch already. Any other helpful hints as I'm transitioning to more local organic foods would help. Meli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlgbug Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 amazing movie, changed the way we bought food.....we wont eat fast food anymore..... organic is SO EXPENSIVE. i pick carefully using the dirty dozen list.... i cant wait for farmers markets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I am trying to do more organic...I am getting more savvy about what we actually eat so I am not buying things that sit in the cupboard or rot in the fridge drawer. Then I am keeping my eyes out for bargains and farmers markets- I also have a box of organic fruit and veg delivered once a week. It is gone in 3 days though. Basically, I am trying to not waste money on food...take aways, food that gets wasted...so that every cent counts, and I can spend more on organic. Also, we have a community of Italian farmers in my area and they supply the italian delicatessans with B grade fruit and veg at very low prices- I buy there when organic seems too expensive, or just to top up or to buy a bargain (like boxes of tomatoes for $5). My mother did a research project for her job once, and found out that Italian farmers use minimal sprays- the Asian farmers tend to use maximum sprays- this was in her area, but I have heard it elsewhere too. I have got dh into the habit of coming to the farmers markets with me on Sunday mornings...now it is a habit, I get a lot more organic that I used to. I don't know your area of course or what is available, but i think it is worth lookng around and asking around for all the sources you can find. It can be worth travelling a bit further afield for a good farm or market. I just love how it makes me feel....buying food from farmers and local families rather than off the supermarket shelves. Also, grow your own herbs and whatever else you can. I am growing herbs (including lots of basil plants), tomatoes, and leafy greens like kale and silverbeet and lettuces. And I rent so I can tonly do so much. When I finally own my own property I intend to put in a big garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca VA Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Your post reminded me that I've been wanting to watch this DVD, too. I just went to the Amazon website to check the price, and there's an interview on the Food, Inc. DVD page with the producers and a film expert. They discuss the very issue you describe -- how to eat healthily on a limited budget. What they say is that good-quality food can be found easily in the supermarket. You need to avoid processed food (which tends to be in the middle aisles) and stay with fruits and vegetables, cuts of meat, and other items that tend to be stocked in the perimeter of the store. You can eat well on a budget, but it takes time and work, and most people just aren't willing to put in that effort. (The interview is very interesting and has much more information.) Have you thought about growing a garden? You can grow a lot of vegetables even in the smallest space. Last year I visited a home that had a tiny backyard, but every single inch was used wisely. There were several fruit trees planted, a rabbit hutch, and vegetables all over the place, including in pots on the deck. It was just beautiful. The family had TONS of fresh, delicious food available most of the year because they'd planned things out so thoughtfully. I purchase 25- and 50-pound bags of brown rice, organic oatmeal, and organic flour from our local Whole Foods and store it in plastic bins from The Container Store. Our family of four goes through it really fast. If you have a natural food store or coop nearby, you could buy in bulk and save a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I would like to know more about this movie...can yo tell me what the basic premise is?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestavern Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Two suggestions that are working here. First is using less meat when you do purchase it. So I'll make a stir fry with lots of veggies and not a lot of meat, cut into small pieces. Or using a smaller amount of meat in a pasta dish with veggies. Use it as an accent versus the main course. I also will use chicken with lots of veggies rolled up in a tortilla. The second suggestion is to go in with other people on a big order of natural meats from a local farmer. I have found two friends who want to purchase large amounts of grass fed beef and natural chicken and pork as well. We are still at the information gathering stage; have come up with a list of potential farmers and now we are getting prices, finding out more about their farm, etc. We plan on getting a full cow and a full pig, which should bring the price down considerably, and then splitting it all and freezing it. It will be a large investment in the beginning, but the price per pound won't be much more than what we're paying now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 My ideal is organic and local. If I have to choose between the two, I tend to buy local produce from farmers whom I know. One is certified organic (my CSA farmer), the other has not gone through the certification process but for all intents and purposes is "mostly" organic. This is the time of year when fruit and vegetable choices are somewhat limited. There really are no local products (other than the fall crop of sweet potatoes) so I find myself staring at some of the supermarket or food co-op items, wondering if that apple or head of lettuce that has been flown across the world or trucked across the country will really have any flavor or nutrition by this point. I find menu planning to be hard this time of year. When I go to the supermarket or food co-op, I often make plans around what produce looks good. Hard squash, sweet potatoes, onions, frozen spinach are mainstays in the winter months. My son inhales clementines whenever they are available but they are not organic. I buy the Spanish ones in the hope that Europeans use fewer pesticides. The last of the strawberry jam that I made from local strawberries was consumed yesterday. Deep sigh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krisperry Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 You can check for local harvest at this website: http://www.localharvest.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Two suggestions that are working here. First is using less meat when you do purchase it. So I'll make a stir fry with lots of veggies and not a lot of meat, cut into small pieces. Or using a smaller amount of meat in a pasta dish with veggies. Use it as an accent versus the main course. I also will use chicken with lots of veggies rolled up in a tortilla. The second suggestion is to go in with other people on a big order of natural meats from a local farmer. I have found two friends who want to purchase large amounts of grass fed beef and natural chicken and pork as well. We are still at the information gathering stage; have come up with a list of potential farmers and now we are getting prices, finding out more about their farm, etc. We plan on getting a full cow and a full pig, which should bring the price down considerably, and then splitting it all and freezing it. It will be a large investment in the beginning, but the price per pound won't be much more than what we're paying now. I don't know where you are but here in Georgia they sell it for $7.00 lb for a quarter cow, which is 100lbs, $6.00lb for half a cow, and $5.00 lb for a whole cow. 50% is ground, 30% is steaks and roasts, and 20% stew beefs stuff. That is the cheapest which put me in sticker shock. I can't locate an organic chicken farm yet or anyone who sells organic cheese for less than $10 a pound which I cannot afford. I have had to put my just turned 10 yr old on a strict organic diet and the poor thing is eating peanut butter sandwhichs every day plus some eggs. I just went to Fresh Market which is the closest thing Savannah has to a Whole Foods (which is ridiculous with the amount of organic lovers here) and spent 60$ on lettuce, potatoes, carrots, milk and bananas, 1 greek yogurt for me. Highway robbery. If anyone has any links to cheaper dairy and meat please let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 My ideal is organic and local. If I have to choose between the two, I tend to buy local produce from farmers whom I know. One is certified organic (my CSA farmer), the other has not gone through the certification process but for all intents and purposes is "mostly" organic. This is the time of year when fruit and vegetable choices are somewhat limited. There really are no local products (other than the fall crop of sweet potatoes) so I find myself staring at some of the supermarket or food co-op items, wondering if that apple or head of lettuce that has been flown across the world or trucked across the country will really have any flavor or nutrition by this point. I find menu planning to be hard this time of year. When I go to the supermarket or food co-op, I often make plans around what produce looks good. Hard squash, sweet potatoes, onions, frozen spinach are mainstays in the winter months. My son inhales clementines whenever they are available but they are not organic. I buy the Spanish ones in the hope that Europeans use fewer pesticides. The last of the strawberry jam that I made from local strawberries was consumed yesterday. Deep sigh... I will say ditto to this, except we have TOO MUCH strawberry jam. Last year was a good year for strawberries. I'll add...look around your community for a Farmer's Market. Sometimes you can get produce and fresh eggs for a little less than the grocery store (though not always) and it is fresher and tastier. Some longer-term ideas that have helped us: Canning, drying and freezing your own fruits and vegetables can save a lot of money in the winter when the cost of produce goes up. I worked on this all summer. We've still got berries (frozen and dried), fruit leather, tomato sauce and dried tomatoes, bell peppers, all kinds of pickles, peaches, dried apples and applesauce. Having those peaches and strawberries, particularly, is such a balm to the soul on a chilly grey winter morning and my kids are eating healthy nutritious snacks. We also buy organic apples, squash, onions, potatoes and garlic in bulk in the fall and store them. We've still got plenty, except for the apples, and they are still good. And if you've got room, a small garden can help. Plant veggies that your family eats a lot of and that freeze well. We live in the middle of town, but our small garden has helped our grocery bill. :) Green beans, sugar pumpkins, strawberries, raspberries and storage onions have been some of our biggest money savers. We also have chickens, so fresh eggs, but we really don't save much money. The eggs are fantastic, though! Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I saw that movie, too, and it changed our way of shopping, as well. I searched online for organic beef and found a place not that far from here that sells free-range, grass-fed beef. $280 for a quarter beef. I need to save up for that, now I know where it is. I'm still looking for sources for chicken and dairy. So, I'd suggest doing some google searches. My search criteria was "organic beef central Illinois" and I got a lot of hits. Also, I belong to a food co-op that has primarily organic foods. It's the same company a local organic grocery store buys from and I can get the foods they sell for a LOT cheaper when I buy through the co-op. Last year, I tried gardening for the first time; this year I'll do it again and can my harvest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 I saw that movie, too, and it changed our way of shopping, as well. I searched online for organic beef and found a place not that far from here that sells free-range, grass-fed beef. $280 for a quarter beef. I need to save up for that, now I know where it is. I'm still looking for sources for chicken and dairy. So, I'd suggest doing some google searches. My search criteria was "organic beef central Illinois" and I got a lot of hits. Also, I belong to a food co-op that has primarily organic foods. It's the same company a local organic grocery store buys from and I can get the foods they sell for a LOT cheaper when I buy through the co-op. Last year, I tried gardening for the first time; this year I'll do it again and can my harvest. Hi, can you send that link to me for the beef? It sounds like a lot cheaper than what I found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melik Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Thank you to all who replied! You all had so many good ideas. We have a garden but we really don't produce enough "yet" to do a lot of preserving. We do have a local community of farmers most of them have "you pick"0 fruit and produce in the summer. I think that I need to get better at planning a head and really sticking to the plan. I think that I have been just too used to fixing whatever meal I want no matter the season! I must change my way of thinking. So I guess that my next question is. When starting to do this what have been your very first priorities? And How long has it taken you to make these changes? Meli Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Hi, can you send that link to me for the beef? It sounds like a lot cheaper than what I found. Sure. It's http://www.ssbackwardslonghorns.com/#/consumer-products/4530965738 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Sure. It's http://www.ssbackwardslonghorns.com/#/consumer-products/4530965738 You are great!! Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Don't try to change everything all at once. You don't want to overwhelm yourself. Start with what you love. I started with U-pick fruit and making jam because I love doing it and I love eating strawberries all winter. It's snowballed. Every year we make another change to our diet. I think that I have been just too used to fixing whatever meal I want no matter the season! I must change my way of thinking. The thing that helped us to change this mindset the most was getting a CSA box. You could do the same by shopping at a local farmer's market. You're limited by what's available. In our CSA box, we got what we got. No choices, no "I don't feel like cooking that," no "I'm not crazy about that." If we didn't eat it (or give it away) it went to waste. We learned that we like eggplant, beets and Swiss chard. Who knew? Squash and potatoes have become a bigger part of our winter diet because we bought storage veggies from the farm for winter. If you haven't read it already, you might want to read Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It's funny and inspiring. :) Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWOB Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I just watch it and I loved it!!! Really made me want to strive for more local organic food. But for our brood of 6 on a really tight budget that isn't so easy. Anyone have any helpful hints? I tried a couple of months ago to buy all organic but we were out of money two weeks into the month. I make a lot of my food from scratch already. Any other helpful hints as I'm transitioning to more local organic foods would help. Meli Oh, this post makes me want to move soo bad! My house is surrounded by corn and soybean fields. Seriously surrounded. They spray constantly. The crop-dusting planes buzz my house. Makes me want to vomit. So, I feel slightly uncomfortable eating local. Of course, I have to drive 60 miles to the closest Whole Foods, so I assume that is counter-productive and QUITE expensive. Sometimes I just have to close my eyes, eat it, and pray for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Katia Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) Oh, this post makes me want to move soo bad! My house is surrounded by corn and soybean fields. Seriously surrounded. They spray constantly. The crop-dusting planes buzz my house. Makes me want to vomit. So, I feel slightly uncomfortable eating local. Of course, I have to drive 60 miles to the closest Whole Foods, so I assume that is counter-productive and QUITE expensive. Sometimes I just have to close my eyes, eat it, and pray for the best. Yes, we are in the same position. C :tongue_smilie: I watched the author of Food, Inc. on Oprah the other day, and one thing he said really struck me (and it's so logical and simple): when you shop, read the labels. If you can't pronounce a word in the ingredients list, and/or you don't know what the word is.....you do not want to eat it. I went through my cupboards and threw into the trash anything that had a word on the ingredient list that I didn't recognize. Then I went shopping for real food. I've been cooking all week, (oatmeal for breakfast with fruit, salad for lunch and homemade whatever for supper) and I have never felt so......good! As for the organic....that may come, but slowly. It's just so expensive. Edited February 3, 2010 by Katia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I found this online. Hope it's helpful to someone. :) http://www.localharvest.org/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Are you all renting, buying or getting someplace else this video? Do I have to buy it to watch it...I know there are snippets on you tube, but I don't think you can see the whole thing, can you?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Are you all renting, buying or getting someplace else this video? Do I have to buy it to watch it...I know there are snippets on you tube, but I don't think you can see the whole thing, can you?? If you have netflix, you can do an instant download. Netflix is the best 13.99 a month I spend. ;) Don''t tell Dave R. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 If you have netflix, you can do an instant download. Netflix is the best 13.99 a month I spend. ;) Don''t tell Dave R. I blatantly and brazenly spend $16.99 a month on it and will scoff in Dave R.'s face over it! (I like having 3 dvds out at a time) It's the best media investment we've made. I believe you can also "rent" it via iTunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProudGrandma Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I blatantly and brazenly spend $16.99 a month on it and will scoff in Dave R.'s face over it! (I like having 3 dvds out at a time) It's the best media investment we've made. I believe you can also "rent" it via iTunes. thanks, I will checkout itunes...we don't get Netflix. Does anybody own it? Is it worth buying??? I need to decide before today is up...I can still buy it for $10 on Amazon...though today, I think, yes?? Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 It might be worth owning if you want to show it to others, or reference back to it later, but it's not a movie (IMO) you'd sit and watch over and over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunshine Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Where can I order cheese and dairy for less than 6.00 for 8oz. I can't believe how expensive organic cheese is. Have I already asked this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty in Pink Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Where can I order cheese and dairy for less than 6.00 for 8oz. I can't believe how expensive organic cheese is. Have I already asked this? I get Organic Valley mozzarella and (raw) cheddar for around $4.00 for an 8 oz chunk. It seems expensive but I just use half a block instead of the whole I used to use, and I plan my meals so that I only need one block a week (two meals with cheese). ETA: I buy it at Harris Teeter or the military commissary. I haven't looked at Food Lion though they do have a decent selection of organics at mine. Publix might also carry it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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