Organic on a Budget

How can you live green but stay within your means? Here are some ways to make your organic food dollars stretch farther:

Buy Smart: Between 2000 and 2004, the USDA and FDA did some 43,000 tests for pesticides in fresh produce. When the Environmental Working Group analyzed the results it found that you could reduce your pesticide intake by 90 percent if you ate only organic versions of twelve of them: peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. If all you did was buy these foods organically, you'd be making a huge contribution to your family's health.

Shop Around: Pricing for organic foods is sometimes ... well, let's just call it whimsical. So many different retail outlets are selling organic products these days that there are bargains available if you just take the time to look for them. You comparison shop for everything else, right? Why not for organic food? And when you do find a deal, buy lots if it isn't perishable.

Buy Local: Buying locally grown vegetables, fruit, and meat is easier than ever. Many supermarkets feature them in season and there are more and more farmers' markets every year. Foods in season tend to be cheaper, because they're abundant then. And for that matter, consider shopping at the end of the day; you can often drive a better bargain then and you don't even have to feel guilty: it makes the farmer's life easier not having to pack up the excess or discard it. Most locally sourced foods are organic - but you should always ask what fertilizers and pesticides (and for meats, what antibiotics and hormones) were used to produce them. Also, one of the big benefits of buying local is what you save environmentally: the fuel costs (part of what's called your "carbon footprint") for a local tomato are way lower than for one grown in a hothouse somewhere else in the world and air shipped to your supermarket. Not to mention that the local one will actually taste like a tomato!

Buy in Bulk – Shop with Friends: Farmers are smart folks. If you walk up to a stand at the farmers' market, or even one on the farm, and say you want to buy crates of produce, not just a bag, they'll cut you a deal. So either shop with your friends or make an arrangement to shop for them. If you've got a freezer, you can do the same thing with a side of organic beef. By the way, if your market or natural foods shop has bulk bins, that's another way to get organic on the cheap. It's this simple: Buying big saves big.

Buy Store-Brand Organic Products: The major supermarket chains have caught on. So now, if you're looking for a can of tomatoes, there's a pretty good chance that the store's own house brand will offer you an organic choice that is cheaper than the big-name organic brands. Choose it.

[The above excerpt is reprinted with permission from Green Goes With Everything: Simple Steps to a Healthier Life and a Cleaner Planet by Sloan Barnett (Atria Books, September 2008)]

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