One of the biggest problems us healthy families face is the expense of our food! Sadly, the government makes the organic companies jump through hoops to provide consumers with healthy food and all of that extra work is reflected in the price. Organic farmers are charged a fee by the government to become certified organic. The companies that coat their food with harmful chemicals are charged nothing! But that’s a whole other post …
Spring has finally arrived and that means that our local farmer’s markets will be starting up again – hooray! Buying locally is a great way to save money.
When you shop at farmer’s markets and produce stands you:
- Get better quality food. The food is fresher and has more nutrients.
- Get to know the farmer’s personally. They want people to eat organic! They strive to keep their customers happy and will offer you deals.
- Eliminate the middle man. Buying directly from the supplier cuts out the extra cost of a store’s profit.
- Help the environment. Buying local food cuts down on the transportation and packaging of the products.
- Support your local economy. The money you give to your local business goes right back into supporting other local business, non-profits and local taxes.
Another way to save on food is by joining a CSA – Community Supported Agriculture. CSAs are cost effective and fun! When you join a CSA you typically pay an upfront “bulk” price and then get a share of food each week. CSAs are not just for fruits and vegetables. You can find eggs, meat, cheeses and more if you do your research. Some farmers join other farmers to give their share holders a mixed box of all types of food!
Where to find farmer’s markets and CSAs:
http://www.mass.gov/agr/massgrown/ – for our readers in Massachusetts
Check your local papers. Farmer’s markets usually place ads or are mentioned in the events section. Also keep a look-out for flyers posted at your local stores and post offices.
Have you found a great farmer’s market or CSA? Tell us about it in the comment section.
Our Natural Nest 
CSAs are even cheaper!! (IMO) Farmers Markets offer the flexibility of choosing your own foods, while most CSAs pack the basket for you, but luckily I recently signed up as a first time member of a CSA and the farmer told me I can swap items I don’t like. Regardless, I’m willing to give everything a fair chance, wrote a post about trying to eat better last week. food has become my latest obsession lol. Your post provides insightful information that I found to be useful. Thanks for sharing!