if you buy organic/natural food...

[Shannon in TN]

how do you save money? It seems that it's much more expensive to go all natural/organic.

[sbgrace]

It is more expensive. We do very little prepared foods. If you're doing the cooking with ingredients you're comfortable with it should be cheaper. This is the biggest thing I believe.

 

Also, you may want to prioritize. Some things might be more important organic than others (think dirty dozen type research). For example, here celery is organic but asparagus is not.

 

You might also find a local farmer or gardener that uses organic practices but isn't certified. Finally, Amazon carries some organic and natural things we use through subscription service. It can save a ton of money over store purchases.

Edited July 22, 2011 by sbgrace

[Parrothead]

Only buy what will get eaten. It means more trips to the market instead of less so produce doesn't go rancid while sitting in the fruit bowl.

 

Also, in the long term, a plant based organic diet is better for the body than one based on meat and packaged foods. That will save in medical treatments, some of which require long term care. Would you rather spend $100 a month extra now for good whole food for the family or in 20 years spend $100 a month for bp, heart, diabetes, etc., medications.

 

Another thing to think of is the way our food is bio-engineered. I really don't want this crossed with that and something that looks like corn but really isn't corn anymore.

 

Do you really want to consume meat treated with hormones and medications? They give cows antibiotics because they feed them corn which is not natural for cows to eat. It makes them sick. So in order to keep feeding them corn they also feed them antibiotics. "They" say that in order to keep prices down this is what must be done.

 

Real food is more expensive. I personally would rather pay the difference and know that I have real food.

[Orthodox6]

The trade-off, if it makes sense to call it this, is to eschew pre-made foods and cook for yourself. Don't buy frozen burritos, make them yourself. Bake your own cookies and cakes. So many more examples possible.

 

One enormous help for me, something that saves money for everybody, organic-inclined or not, is to make friends with soups. Almost anything can be used for a soup of some kind, including leftovers from salads, or from entrees. Soups are the ultimate creative endeavour for a cook, I believe.

 

Invent ways to use leftovers, other than soups, too. Where there is no waste, money is saved.

 

Better food choices -- not necessarily organic, but choices considered "healthier" -- often are more satisfying, with the result that people eat less "filler food". . . . This concept can backfire, though. My kids love my cooking, and eat a lot !

 

I am not saying to give up meat. That is a personal choice. I do buy for my family hormone/chemical-free meats and poultry. (I don't eat meat/poultry myself) I have learned how to reduce the amounts of meat/poultry used, though, and nobody is unhappy. The shift was to move away from serving meat as a "stand-alone" (think steak or hamburger), and to use meat as an ingredient. That is what many world cultures do with meat/poultry/seafood. Reduces costs immediately !

Edited July 22, 2011 by Orthodox6

[tammyw]

We spend a lot on groceries - all organic for the most part. Groceries are a big part of our budget, and we've just grown to accept that. We don't eat out much anymore, because I know I can get better ingredients at home. Also, my husband always says "pay now or pay later" meaning he'd rather spend our money on healthy food than having our bodies fall apart later, lol.

[RahRah]

We keep our total food cost reasonable by making direct farm purchases for most of our meat (beef, pork, lamb, turkey, chicken), our eggs and some dairy selections. The farms we choose all pasture their animals, so are grass-fed and they are all organic, but only one is *certified* as organic.

 

We use a CSA from mid-April to mid-Nov for most of our produce, but also go to the farmer's market during that time for specific needs that may not be in our box that week and we have our own garden too. During the season, I will often buy produce and prepare it for freezing and keep it in the freezer into the winter for our use (ie. green beans, chopped onions, aparagus, beets, broccoli, etc.) because the seasonal price is significantly lower than buying it in the winter.

 

We also tend to eat seasonally - not as many salads in the winter since locally salads wouldn't be available, so we have more winter squash, root vegetables, etc. and much less of the summer options.

 

I also make choices on what produce has to be organic versus what can be conventional (I won't buy GMO) - I really don't think I have to buy organic aspargus when conventional isn't sprayed heavily, but if it's close in price, I'll buy the organic - but I won't pay twice the price just to have organic aspargus. For other things, like strawberries, I'll only buy organic because the conventional is heavily sprayed and/or may have issues with soil quality and/or are imported from countries where standards are much lower for pesticides.

 

I shop sales heavily for basics and use coupons where I can - I don't buy things we don't eat though just because there is a coupon - and I scope out coupons for things like produce, meat and dairy.....while there aren't a lot of coupons for organic, there are some really good ones if you poke around and look - at the moment I have coupons for things like Driscoll fruits (includes organic), Organic Valley half & half, Organic Valley Milk, Horizon Milk, Dole salad bags, Simply Organic Spices, YoBaby yogurt, etc. - when these things go on sale, the coupon lowers the price more -- or having the coupon helps if it's not on sale.

 

It probably helps I like to cook, so we eat almost all of our meals at home, cooked from scratch with few, if any, processed foods in the mix. When making some things, like spaghetti sauce, I make a huge batch and freeze some so I don't have to make sauce all the time, but can make three-four meals worth once and then use it until I need to do it again. I tend to do this with things that freeze well - which helps alot with time too since it means I don't necessarily have to cook every night - some nights I thaw and re-heat!

 

And, well there are just some things you stick with regular on because you like it - for us that's Hellman's mayo and Oscar Mayer bacon, shoot me.

Edited July 22, 2011 by RahRah

[Rebecca VA]

I agree with the other posters about staying healthy with natural foods. We have found that growing food yourself is an excellent way to save money. We are using Earth Boxes (purchased at Wegman's grocery store for $25 each) to grow food on our deck. Two Earth Boxes of tomatoes are yielding HUNDREDS of delicious organic tomatoes this summer. We are also growing bumper crops of zucchini, peppers, and basil, and fall tomatoes and broccoli are on the way.

 

Sprouts can be grown inexpensively indoors year-round.

 

I'm also learning to make homemade yogurt and kefir.

 

While organic ingredients are very desirable, don't give up hope if you can't afford to buy everything organic. Preparing food from scratch -- even if the ingredients aren't all organic -- is an excellent way of keeping control of what goes into your family's diet.

[Orthodox6]

Not everything MUST be organic in order to avoid health problems. I stick with avoiding "The Dirty Dozen". Check for updates, as the list changes. (A recent change was the addition of blueberries, which formerly were just fine in their non-organic state.)

 

Whether or not there are differences in taste between organic and non- spawns debate. I admit to finding a big difference in onions. Non-organic onions always seem like soft plastic that gushes water when I bite into a raw piece.

[melissel]

Excellent advice all around. I'll add that you should also find a blog or two that details sales and coupons for your area. Yes, the vast majority of coupons are for processed foods, even if they're organic. However, you can also find out about other deals that can help you buy what you need. For example, Stop & Shop had a deal recently where you received a $15 coupon to use on your next purchase (of anything) when you purchased $50 in gift cards from the kiosk in the store. Over the course of the week, I spent over $500 on gift cards to local gas stations and received over $150 in free groceries. The gift cards got put into our Gas envelopes instead of cash, and with the coupons, I stocked up on organic milk (with additional coupons for that brand specifically), natural meat (which I picked up when they had additional coupons on them because they had to be sold in the next two days), organic produce, and...Newman-O's cookies :blush: I wouldn't have known about that if I wasn't reading the blog I follow. Acme also had a similar deal going.

 

Another local store annually has a huge super sale where they list categories of items (usually by manufacturer). If you spend a certain amount in each category, you get $20 in checkout coupons to use over the next four weeks (so potentially $160 in checkout coupons). Well, every year, those sales can be combined with coupons to make many of those items free or cheap. So I buy the items with the coupons, donate them, and use the checkout coupons for the things we really need. No, it doesn't cover our entire annual grocery budget, but smart shopping during sales like this helps quite a bit.

 

Otherwise, the best things are as others mentioned: Cook from scratch, grow as much as you can yourself, and see if you can find local farmers or hook up with local co-op groups.

 

It helped me greatly to think of this issue in a different way. Organic/natural food isn't more expensive. Instead, you can get a steep discount for buying foods that are grown with corporate-margin-increasing pesticides, preservatives, flavor enhancers, colors, additives, antibiotics, etc. Sometimes going that route is a family's only alternative, unfortunately. We're struggling with that right now. But if you can manage to reallocate some funds for a more natural/organic diet and you believe it's beneficial, then go for it.

[Joules]

how do you save money? It seems that it's much more expensive to go all natural/organic.

I buy from a local CSA program. You can see if there is one in your area here:

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

[FaithManor]

We do not buy prepared foods, packaged items for the most part and much of it is purchased from a Mennonite grocery store that carries a lot of organic items or Meijers (Michigan company) which is fairly competitive in pricing. None of it comes from health food stores or specialty groceries and that really helps.

 

I buy mostly produce, baking supplies, and pasta this way. We raise a pig each year for our own organic pork, we have six chickens in the back yard for organic eggs, and Mabel the cow is boarded at a farm where we pay $50.00 a month for her to stay at an organic farm and be milked. We take 3-5 gallons of milk per week and the farmer keeps the rest which is the only way it is profitable for him to feed and house our cow in the winter. Every couple of years we buy a half beef from this same farmer.

 

We garden along with my parents and preserve a huge amount of organic produce for winter. Also, when shopping and money is tight so I can afford less organic, I stick to buying specific produce items that are most likely to be heavily sprayed with pesticides and herbicides....berries, salad greens, etc.

 

We can't afford everything organic, but by producing some of our own and changing our eating habits so that we cook from scratch and eat smaller amounts of non-organic items, we've probably got our diets (when we don't eat out for fun) up to 70% organic.

 

Faith

[Mom-ninja.]

Food is expensive. It's a big chunk of our budget. DH and I accept that. We save in other areas.

 

I grew up with my mom telling me to not scrimp on food, but to scrimp in other less important areas.

 

I can't remember what book it was but I remember reading that food used to be a much bigger expense for families in the past. I think it said that food used to be about 40% of a family's income. Today, we expect food for a much lower percentage of our income and it does not reflect the accurate cost of food production.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

It helps me to remember that much of the other food would be just as expensive if it wasn't heavily subsidized by the government.

[TracyP]

Buy locally. I don't worry whether the label says organic. I want to know where my food comes from. I buy grass-fed beef directly from the farmer. You may pay slightly more than before, but much less than supermarket natural beef.

 

Grow/raise your own. Even with a small yard you can do a little.

 

Take baby steps. Going more natural has been a very gradual process for us. If we tried to start where we are today, we would have given up immediately. (and we still have so much more we could do)

 

Pick priorities. Someone mentioned the dirty dozen. Not all organic is equal. Do some research and try to get the most bang for your buck.

[Pretty in Pink]

I only buy the amount of produce that I *know* we will eat before it turns. If I have to stop for salad towards the end of the week that's okay; at least I'm not tossing 4.00 worth of organic salad greens because we never got around to them.

 

You don't have to buy all produce organic -- check out the 'dirty dozen' list and start there. I don't buy organic bananas or oranges but I will spring for organic apples and berries and salad greens because there is no heavy rind to protect them. I try buy organic root vegetables as well.

 

Organic dairy is pricey so I make sure that I am the one who serves milk and cheese around heret -- that way I can control the serving sizes. I use 4 oz. juice glasses for milk and use cheese sparingly, more as a garnish than a main ingredient, most of the time.

 

Organic meat and poultry is also expensive and I can't afford to serve it every night. I serve meat/poultry 2-3x per week. The other nights I make meals that feature generous portions of beans or lentils, vegetables, and whole grains. One night per week we have an egg-based meal like breakfast burritos, frittata, quiche, etc. I also try to serve wild-caught fish a few times per month if I find it at a reasonable price.

 

I try to avoid buying organic convenience foods because the cost really adds up! I usually spring for a box or two of organic or Kashi granola bars each week though. I also don't buy organic pasta. I do buy organic marinara sauce, canned beans, and salsa though; at the base commissary they are just five or ten cents more expensive than non-organic (actually, the marinara is often cheaper).

[Momof3littles]

3 of my biggest helps:

 

Watch what you throw out. When we switched to organics I made sure to be way, way better at minimizing waste. I rarely need to toss stuff out. I use and freeze scraps of things like onions, the tops and bottoms of celery, etc. to make stock. I freeze leftovers and don't toss them out.

 

We eat low carb, and can save money by buying our meat in bulk. It brings it down to 3.50 a pound or so for grassfed.

 

We don't really buy convenience foods, except for a few quick to heat up items that we only use when the alternative would be going out to dinner (at 5x the price).

 

eta: totally agree on the dirty dozen. I'd rather prioritize my money and use it for grassfed meat/dairy (hormone/antibiotic free). We mostly buy the dirty dozen organic, and the rest conventional (depending on price). If the budget is tight I use hormone free dairy vs. organic or grassfed. Some non-organic brands like Tillamook (we buy Tillamook cheddar at costco for about 3.50/lb sliced) have a pretty solid reputation.

Edited July 22, 2011 by Momof3littles

[Daisy]

1. We use a CSA type service to buy produce organic and local.

2. Eat less meat and dairy.

3. Eat fewer prepared foods (for example, I don't buy chicken stock. I use my left-over organic chicken carcass and make my own).

4. Properly store your food so it doesn't go bad.

5. Buy extra organic produce when it is in season and freeze or can it.

[JennyD]

As others have said:

 

(1) Belonging to a CSA

 

(2) Only buying in-season produce (my kids and DH go through huge quantities of fruit, so this is a big one for us)

 

(3) Less meat

 

(4) Cooking as much as possible, including -- when I have my act together -- baking bread.

 

I also find that Whole Foods' 365 brand and bulk bins, as well as Trader Joe's are pretty reasonably priced sources for dairy and assorted staple/processed foods (oatmeal, cereal, nuts, canned tomatoes, chocolate [don't even try to tell me that's not a staple], cheese, peanut butter, etc.)

[Momof3littles]

We joke about cooking like your grandmother with respect to waste. Like the poster above said, we make our own chicken stock, etc. It stretches the $$ you've already paid for it.

 

One other thing I thought of (not sure if it was mentioned upthread) is PYO farms. Every summer we do PYO blueberries and get a really good price per pound. We flash freeze the berries and try to have enough to last us through the fall, winter, and spring. The place we buy from was certified organic at one point but couldn't keep up the cost of the certification. THey do not spray.

[Orthodox6]

It helps me to remember that much of the other food would be just as expensive if it wasn't heavily subsidized by the government.

 

OUCH ! and again, I say OUCH !

 

Somebody among the WTM membership is a dairy farmer for Organic Valley. (She popped her head out with that info many months ago when I said something about generally buying that brand of milk.) When we buy from organic farmers, just as much as when we buy from local (not necessarily organic) farmers, we are supporting the non-subsidized farmers of America. That is a good feeling, in my book.

 

Another point -- possibly mentioned already, but I jumped to the end of the thread -- is that not every local grower can afford to spend the large sums required to obtain the bureaucratic permission legally to label their livestock and/or produce and/or grain "organic". Talking directly with a grower often reveals that their wares are pesticide-free, or organic -- but he may not use that as a sales point.

[NicAnn]

We cook from scratch. And I mean from scratch- sauce, crackers, bread, ketchup (at times), etc. That saves a TON of money. We also eat very little meat, and that saves a ton too. Our biggest food expense is gluten free snacks for my daughter. I like to keep a good stock of gluten free food for her, that I don't have to cook from scratch. I always worry that in an emergency she won't have anything to eat, since very little of my friends (or my DH) can cook gluten free food for her.

 

CSAs are wonderful, and if you learn to preserve, it can last through the winter.

[Liz CA]

My ND says: "Pay the grocer now or the doctor later."

[TN Mama]

One of the best things we did was purchase 1/4 cow last year. And I registered with a CSA there before we moved. I had to sell my share when we moved, but there are a few options there locally for you.

[RahRah]

 

 

 

Another point -- possibly mentioned already, but I jumped to the end of the thread -- is that not every local grower can afford to spend the large sums required to obtain the bureaucratic permission legally to label their livestock and/or produce and/or grain "organic". Talking directly with a grower often reveals that their wares are pesticide-free, or organic -- but he may not use that as a sales point.

 

:iagree:

 

Yup! Talk to the local farmers, many practice very sustainable agriculture and are organic without being certified due to cost. A number of the farms we buy from are like that - they just can't justify the cost to go certified even though they totally qualify.

[OrganicAnn]

We grow our own. Freeze what we can for use in winter. Prioritize. Occasionally we buy non-organic, but not often. Buy from farmers markets. We also eat less meat. Cook from scratch. You can just swap out to organic without making other changes and expect to pay the same amount.

 

We have about the same food cost as when we didn't buy organic because of these changes.

[myfunnybunch]

how do you save money? It seems that it's much more expensive to go all natural/organic.

 

We garden and we eat seasonally. We also buy/pick in season and preserve. It means that we eat a lot of frozen fruits and vegetables, and winter crop and storage vegetables (squash, potatoes, beets, cabbage) during the winter. Meat is our biggest expense, and like others have mentioned, we eat less of it.

 

Cat

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

When we buy from organic farmers, just as much as when we buy from local (not necessarily organic) farmers, we are supporting the non-subsidized farmers of America. That is a good feeling, in my book.

 

That was precisely my point.

 

I buy from a local CSA farm that using organic growing practices, but is not certified. I also purchase items at our local farmers market whenever possible.

[Little Nyssa]

Recently I found out that Costco has some organic things. Today I bought eggs for cheaper than I've ever seen organic eggs.

Also, I'm keeping a notebook to compare prices around town.

[mcconnellboys]

If you stock your pantry once, then shop sales only to keep it filled, you mostly only are buying meat, dairy, and any fresh vegi's/fruit on a weekly basis. We've been doing this about 5 years now and haven't found it to be prohibitive.

[LibraryLover]

If you are able, I agree that you need to talk to the growers. Few of our local folks want to compromise their land or heatlh by using or over -using pesticides. The farmers I've spoken with are interested in full disclosure. They will say, "I did use a fungicide on this crop in May as I was a fraid to lose it all. I did xyz, used xyz on this date." Or, "This has never been sprayed. This was sprayed with ABC on July 1. I did use conventional seeds for this particular crop, but it is otherwise 'organic'. That particular seed does better in our area for me." (I always hope asking about growing practicies makes some folks consider or reconsider certain practicies. I don't like it if a grower acts annoyed or angered by my questions. It has rarely happened, but when/if it has/does, I wont buy from them. There are plenty of folks who want to make safer food available to folks, and who do not want to have dangerous pesticides around their homes/children/land.)

 

I am able to purchase plenty of 100% organic food in summer where I live. It's a small town, but there are very thoughtful growers --and even a biodynamic farm --a couple of miles from my home. My organic haul today (various local farmers and the famers' market) was: Swiss chard, various lettuce, green pepppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, raspberries, currants, purple potaotes. My own garden contained kale, raspberries, lettuce, herbs, a couple of plum tomatoes, green beans, a yelllow squash, a little eggplant. :) I also have lots of organic fresh eggs. It's an amazing gift. The more conventional items I bought today were 'extras' , with pesticides applied bare minimum: green apples, tiny peaches, corn, blueberries. I don't know whether the 'organic' lable on my 'store brand' or Trader Joe veggies and fruits are nearly as pure, because they will not disclose (TJ's is notorious for non -disclosure wrt their house brands). I would rather support somebody I know who is trying to do right by her own land.

 

One might be surprised what one can find sometimes. I know it could all be gone in a flash, but i am grateful there are so many thoughtful growers, and I am grateful my own organic garden doesn't have to sustain us for 12 months of the year. I am not that good or prodctive. I do love the folks in my community who are trying so hard to put safe, wonderful food on our tables.

 

As long as I live here, I cannot think poorly of man, in general. So many people doing so much good. Pure and simple; these folks are a tremendous gift to our community.

Edited July 23, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Tutor]

Our biggest savings have come from:

 

1) growing our own (mostly herbs)

 

2) joining a CSA

 

3) barter with friends (we've decided to switch completely to container gardening, so we traded our tiller to a friend in exchange for some cash and a couple years worth of organic, free range eggs and homemade soaps)

[tricia]

We buy organic. But like anything we consider a priority always requires a sacrifice in some other area. And with a large family like mine there are many things I have to go without in order to feed my family the way I do. I just went shopping tonight and spent 172.00. My list consisted of the following, all organic,

 

8 containers strawberries

2 containers black raspberries

2 jars raw honey

2 jars all fruit jam

4 loaves sprouted wheat bread-I normally make my own bread but we just got home from a trip and I need a few days to unwind.

4 lbs raw milk cheese

10 dozen eggs

maple syrup

peanut butter

4 lbs butter

plums, peaches, apples, tomatoes

large container spinach

large container spring greens

3 jars all natural roasted garlic salad dressing

4 lbs organic cream cheese

greek yogurt

several jars kombucha

 

and on the way home we stopped for some milk at our local farm. I have to keep our meals extremely simple in order to do this. Lots of beans, rice, grains, homemade bread, fruits and veggies. We use tons of eggs and make many smoothies using bananas and greek yogurt for protein.

 

Yes, it can be expensive but simplifying our meals is a must. I have many recipes on my blog. Once in a great while we have a junk day and by that I mean junk. In reality I really don't expect to keep every piece of junk food away from my children so I occasionally allow it. Not often, but once in a while we all need some pizza, chips, soda, and candy. Well, maybe it isn't needed but kids sure enjoy it!

[Geo]

We could never, ever afford to eat organically if buying it all from the store. We had to start growing produce ourselves. We follow the Square Foot Gardening method, which is far less work than traditional methods. Now we enjoy organic vegetables and some fruits at rock bottom prices. This frees up money to buy things we aren't producing ourselves. If your serious about food quality, you really should consider gardening. Start small, and expand as confidence grows. :)

[Peela]

Eat only what's in season AND local. I don't buy organic thats been shipped across the country or the world.

 

That means right now, we are eating apples and pears only because its winter here. Bananas from up the coast are too expensive because of the cyclones and floods which destroyed all the plantations, so bananas are now our "expensive" occasional treat fruit, rather than daily. (about $2 a medium banana).

 

There are cherries in the supermarket that are from the U.S.A. that are cheaper than we can get cherries in the middle of summer here. I don't like it- we cant buy garlic grown locally either- it has to come from China and be irradiated on the way in (as would the cherries). How hard is it to grow garlic?

 

Plan ahead so as to minimise waste.

[elfgivas]

its a worth while goal.

 

we joined a CSA, and so eat locally and seasonally and organic. we don't get to choose what we get, but for $35- we get enough fruit and veggies to feed 6 adults.

 

we reduced meat consumption to 4 ounces a day, and then to 4 ounces every other day.

 

we cook from scratch. we bake from scratch.... hamburger buns are not really that hard ; ). the first time i made them, we were all amazed. i haven't tried to make bagels yet, but they're on the list. the only breakfast cereals i make are granola and hot oatmeal, so that's all the breakfast cereal in the house.

 

i do buy yoghurt and cheese; we tried making our own, and didn't get enough joy out of it to be worth the effort. ice cream on the other hand is so fun to make and tastes so much better.

 

and home made pasta is way easier than i thought, too.

 

it takes time, its way more fun, way healthier, and for us actually not more expensive.

 

fwiw,

ann

 

i don't make potato chips/crisps, soda, etc, so they are not in our diet.... and that saved us a ton.

 

eta: it took us about two years to switch completely....

[Tawlas]

I'm lucky (or stupid) and started an organic produce delivery service with my friend and my sister. I can get *almost* anything at cost that way. It's actually not a lot of start up, besides a cooler and we were able to get that fairly cheap as 2 out of 3 dh's are carpenters lol. And most of the time there are leftovers that won't last until next week, so there's usually a box of free produce as well.

 

Again, I'm lucky in that I live on a ranch so chicken, lamb, beef and eggs are taken care of. Someday I'll have my own dairy cow too, but it keeps getting pushed back somehow. I'd LOVE to make my own yogurt, butter, cheese etc. Also, very big garden and lots of u-pick orchards. canning and freezing and jamming at home. And my dh hunts and fishes.

 

so really, since I avoid most processed food, the only thing I buy in the store is dairy and bread, occasionally pork.

[Shannon in TN]

I'm not a very creative cook in the kitchen and I wasn't lucky enough to grow up with a mom/grandma who cooked from scratch to pass down all her knowledge to me. We're so used to eating veggies out of a can that I'm not sure where I would start with fresh fruits and veggies from a CSA. Any advice on that?

 

I also find that Whole Foods' 365 brand and bulk bins, as well as Trader Joe's are pretty reasonably priced sources for dairy and assorted staple/processed foods (oatmeal, cereal, nuts, canned tomatoes, chocolate [don't even try to tell me that's not a staple], cheese, peanut butter, etc.)

 

:lol::lol: Yes, chocolate is most certainly a staple!!

 

One of the best things we did was purchase 1/4 cow last year. And I registered with a CSA there before we moved. I had to sell my share when we moved, but there are a few options there locally for you.

 

A friend's FIL has a farm and occasionally will sell one of their grass-fed cows but I think I'd have to find someone to split it with me. She didn't think he'd sell 1/4, only 1/2. What CSA did you register with? Do you still have the info and can you message me?