From fruit to nuts, candles to crayons, numerous organic options are popping up all over. But sometimes these options can be difficult to find, and when you find them, the extra cost may be astronomical.
Eating well needn't be a high-cost luxury. Here's our guide to organic shopping and finding sustainable foods you need every day - in a way that won't break the bank:
- Organic milk and eggs can sometimes be found at your local corner store. And if they don't already carry it, ask for it! This way you'll always have a supply nearby.
- For produce, buy what's local and in season. You'll pay through the nose for peaches in Maine in December - and they won't taste very good, either. Let LocalHarvest.com help you find what's fresh nearby.
- Find your nearest farmers market, the best resource for fresh, organic produce, eggs and cheese. Your food will taste better, and it's often cheaper than the supermarket.
- Look for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in your area. As a CSA member you pay a weekly fee in exchange for a share of a farm's weekly harvest - which will be better for you and the earth.
Sources
- National Organic Program; Proposed Rule. Federal Register 62:65850-65967, 1997.
- Youngberg IG and others. Beyond the "Big Three": A comprehensive analysis of the proposed National Organic Program. Greenbelt, MD: Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, April 30, 1998.
- Public outcry to organic regs. Natural Foods Merchandiser 19(12):36, 1998.
- National Organic Program: Final rule. Federal Register 65:80547-80684, 2000. (Dec 21, 2000)
- Organic food standards and labels: The facts. USDA Web site, accessed Oct 21, 2002.
Third Party Links
- Local Harvest
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
- The National Organic Program
- State Organic Programs
Wider and Alternative Perspectives
Comments
Local Harvest is great
Hooray for CSA's!
Community farms
Great article
True costs
Too much
Totally. but i've heard