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Parenting Club Forums > All About Being Green > N E 1 still on here

Posted by: coasterqueen Jan 6 2011, 07:25 AM

who shops organic? Where do you get most of your organics? What are your favorite organic brands and products?

We recently joined a co-op and are hoping to buy 90% of our groceries just from them. 5% of the rest is bought from an organic farmer we know. The other 5% will be things that don't last a month since you buy your groceries monthly from the co-op, so milk, some fruits/veggies, etc.

The problem with the co-op is there are HUNDREDS of brands and I don't know enough about all of them to try them out. I've been sticking with the brands I know best, and starting to venture out a little.

Just thought if you all were using some brands I haven't used before I could find out more about them from you and maybe put them on my list next month.

Posted by: Mommy2Isabella Jan 6 2011, 07:55 AM

We do

We mostly shop at Whole Foods. Though we have a few farms around that do co-op's we are joining one for fruits and veggies in a few weeks.

We are in an apartment right now, and when we move to our house (in a few weeks) we are planning on going to a farmer locally, that does organic grass fed beef and buying some and filling up our freezer, we have a good friend that does this! I want to find chicken the same way

I have found it is much cheaper to go to the farmer and do co-ops than buying from whole foods or earth fare.

Posted by: coasterqueen Jan 6 2011, 08:01 AM

QUOTE (Mommy2Isabella @ Jan 6 2011, 10:55 AM)

We do

I have found it is much cheaper to go to the farmer and do co-ops than buying from whole foods or earth fare.

Yes, I can get Megan's favorite organic mocha java ice cream for 3.30 a pint instead of 6.99 a pint at the store.

Same with other foods.

SO, which brands do you get from whole foods? Co-ops sell all the same organic brands usually in places like Whole Foods or like our local organic store. I just haven't used enough of them to venture out of my comfort zone. Our co-op does meat/chicken, too, but we love our farmer that we get that stuff from now, so I wont' take that business away from him.

Posted by: luvbug00 Jan 6 2011, 08:18 AM

trader joes for us. super cheap, cheaper then whole foods and the mixes for brownies and cakes are divine!

Posted by: Mommy2Isabella Jan 6 2011, 08:24 AM

Often times I buy the Whole Foods brand.

Posted by: PrairieMom Jan 6 2011, 02:25 PM

I usually buy from the organic section in my regular grocery store, I like the full circle brand, but I will usually do what ever is cheapest.
We don't have a whole foods or anything like that here, I am totally bummed about it.
we do have a health food market that recently expanded, it is super small, it has maybe 5 rows of shelves in it, they just started carrying meat and things like that, I went in there, but they didn't have all their prices marked yet, so I haven't tried to brave grocery shopping there yet. We have had a few months of unexpected expenses, so I have had to cut back on my organics for a while.

Posted by: coasterqueen Jan 6 2011, 06:00 PM

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 05:25 PM)

Tara, when you go back to organics, you should look at into a co-op. As at your health food market, farmers markets, where ever and a lot of times they will know who to set you up with if you want to join a co-op. Like our co-op is stationed in Iowa and I'm in Illinois. So it doesn't have to be local per se. I've only participated one month but I love it so far. It's hard getting used to it and trying to figure out how to order in larger quantities (monthly) but it's cheaper than going to health food stores!

Posted by: PrairieMom Jan 6 2011, 06:04 PM

QUOTE (coasterqueen @ Jan 6 2011, 09:00 PM)

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 05:25 PM)

we have a co-op , like, a store, where you can buy a share, but the prices are comparable to where I do my shopping now. Can you send me info on your iowa coop? that could be very close to me, I would be interested.

Posted by: coasterqueen Jan 7 2011, 06:48 AM

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 09:04 PM)

QUOTE (coasterqueen @ Jan 6 2011, 09:00 PM)

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 05:25 PM)

www.unfi.com

The problem might be how you get in touch with a rep who delivers to your area. Like our co-op is based out of Iowa, but our "rep" brings all our orders to Springfield, IL. So there has to be a rep in your area, or close that brings orders to that area. They just get all their stuff out of Iowa. Make sense? Like our rep brings a semi to our town, parks at a local church and each month 5 volunteers from the co-op come and help sort orders. Then everyone else has to be there at X time to pick up their orders. When I signed up I thought I'd be amongst a bunch of crunchy weirdos

(yeah, I know, I stereo-typed

), but I was amazed to see so many "normal"

families just like ours who do this. I don't know how far some drive to our town to get their order, but I think some do drive a distance because I saw one guy who had 6 coolers in the back of his big dualy truck that he was filling up with his orders. If he lived near our town he wouldn't need the coolers to get the stuff home.

It's pretty cool though.

Posted by: PrairieMom Jan 7 2011, 08:13 AM

QUOTE (coasterqueen @ Jan 7 2011, 09:48 AM)

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 09:04 PM)

QUOTE (coasterqueen @ Jan 6 2011, 09:00 PM)

QUOTE (PrairieMom @ Jan 6 2011, 05:25 PM)

(yeah, I know, I stereo-typed

), but I was amazed to see so many "normal"

It's pretty cool though.

yeah, I don't think I have anything like that here. I'm not sure. things are pretty dead around here till spring, then I think opportunities may start to come up. I was thinking about doing a CSA with a friend, but I am a little scared to do that since I don't think my family will eat 1/2 the stuff we would get.