Organics on a Shoestring
January 17, 2006 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Consumer Reports has released a study on the organics market which combines its own research with some recent scientific studies for some interesting insights.
First off, don’t bother with organic body care products and organic seafood. The standards in place for these products are weak and don’t mean much. Besides, as a former chef, I can assure you that if your seafood is wild, it’s organic.
In terms of advice for going organic and still being frugal, you can check out your local farmer’s markets. You’ll find organic producers at pretty much any market these days and a study that the USDA did in 2002 found that 40 percent of organic farmers selling at local markets weren’t charging a premium for their goods.
Another frugal way to acquire organics is to join a local community or co-op farm that grows organically. A co-op share for a family of four will generally run in the $300 – $500 per season range, though some farms may also require you to work a few hours a month helping to pick and distribute the produce.
For listings of local farmer’s markets in the US, check out www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets and www.localharvest.org.
For a list of community-supported farms, try www.sare.org.
The Consumer Reports full piece on organic shopping tips is here and then a special section on finding organic foods on a shoestring is here.
[via the greener side]
Interesting article. I’m very big on being frugal and have had to weigh the benefits of organic/health against the financial health of my family. My answer has been to start a vegetable garden and buy as much from farm stands etc in the summer-of course I can make sure I don’t use pesticides etc, can’t necessarily say that about the farmers. . . .
Jenn – Have you ever considered joining an organic farm coop? There’s definitely some great value to be had in them.