organic prices

rainy5 · #41 03/15/12, 01:27 PM

I agree with texican. They can be fooling us.
I need to try to do it for my health. I have lymph nodes that swell blood counts go off. I have no choice. I cannot raise chickens yet. I don't have enough land according to my township cannot sell at the moment. Then they just made it five acres now. Hubby and I are saving to get a bigger place. The economy has my home 100,000 in the tanker. all my equity is gone right now. foreclosure's in our area hurt us. I grow as much as I can on my own to keep prices down and I know their is nothing on it. except maybe radiation from japan! That depends on who you talk to though!

MO_cows · #42 03/15/12, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by idigbeets

So people against high organic prices at a super market, but are okay with it at farmers market?

Why can't people accept that fact that food should cost more, conventional or organic. We've been subsidized with cheap energy forever, take that away and food is WAY more expensive whether it's grown on a small local farm, agribusiness farm with thousands of acres etc.

My perception is that the produce at the farmer's market was grown in small quantities with care, probably by the person selling it to me. The organic stuff in plastic at the grocery store might have been produced to the government's definition of organic but it is still mega corporate ag with migrant workers doing the picking, trucked in from who knows where, and has a lot of the other negatives associated with it, just the same as the non-organic produce grown on a massive scale. So I don't want to give much, if any, more for the "name brand" organics in the grocery store than their regular produce. But I will pay more at the roadside stand or farmer's market to get the local, fresh from the small grower, stuff.

chamoisee · #43 03/15/12, 06:39 PM

I do buy organic, but I am frugal. Except for dairy products (which we don't use a lot of), and meat (another rationed item), most of what I buy is not all that expensive. Because I work at the natural foods store, I get 20% or even at cost if I order it in bulk. Even before this though, I was able to make our budget work. I try to buy produce in season and according to what is on sale. Eggplants are probably high right now, cabbage is not. I love eggplant, but it can wait until summer.

With the animal products, I do not begrudge the extra price at all. I simply use less and make the most of the ingredient when I do get it. It is worth it to me to know that the animal was treated well, healthy and not cancerous or loaded with antibiotics, etc.

IMHO, we do not pay what food is worth. Compared to other countries, a very small part of our income goes to food. And then we complain about food borne illnesses and poor quality?? If we pay a little more for food of better quality and which is sustainably grown, those farmers will succeed and it will be more viable for others (such as you and I) to go into farming or market gardening ourselves.

chamoisee · #44 03/15/12, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texican

...the only guaranteed organics are the ones you grow yourself... otherwise, the guarantee is based on nothing but trust, and my 'trust meter' is always on full power, when someone's trying to make a living. [the choice of a small producer, who's faced with economic failure, to cheat a tad... is too great, especially if 'no one will ever know']

I just ask the local dept of ag inspector. She tells me who's good to buy from. We happen to be friends; I don't know if she's allowed to make recommendations to the general public. She does have good inside info though, such as the difference between Organic Valley (fairly good) and Horizon Organics (NOT good at all) dairy products. Or you can do your research. I won't buy Cascadian Farms, for example, whereas I will buy from Earthbound....although given a choice I will prefer the farmers market.

NickieL · #45 03/15/12, 07:33 PM

As others have said, eatting IN season helps with the prices a lot. If you eat a bell pepper organic or not in January, it's going to be costly around here. But I can get bucketloads from local organic farms for dirt cheep in the summer.

chamoisee · #46 03/15/12, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honeyrobber

I will never pay organic prices in grocery stores. The reason is most is not organic. I personally know a guy who has an organic certified farm and sells tomatoes to wholefoods. He buys alot of his tomatoes at the same place I do which is an amish auction. Amish in this area use pumps to water the crops put down plastic and use chemical fertilizers and spray with pesticides. They are heirloom type tomatoes but grown conventional. I reported him to wholefoods and nothing changed. They want then and do not care.

You need to report this guy to your local Dept of agriculture inspector who handles organic inspections!!

ChristieAcres · #47 03/15/12, 07:39 PM

Best to buy local everything, including Butcher Shop, nearest private Dairy, etc..., that is everything you cannot grow or produce yourself. We are steadily increasing what we grow & produce!

CesumPec · #48 03/16/12, 08:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lorichristie

Best to buy local everything, including Butcher Shop, nearest private Dairy, etc..., that is everything you cannot grow or produce yourself. We are steadily increasing what we grow & produce!

Butcher Shop? I've heard of those. Not sure I've ever seen one.

Actually, as a kid I enjoyed my mother taking me to a butcher shop in the Smokies. There was very little pre-cut meat, mostly he asked what kind of meal my mother wanted to make, then would offer suggestions on cuts, size, thickness, etc. and then would prepare just what she wanted. Maybe it is just a memory that has grown better with age, but no sausage has ever tasted as good since.

I would hate to see what kind of prices a place with service like that would require.

ChristieAcres · #49 03/16/12, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CesumPec

Butcher Shop? I've heard of those. Not sure I've ever seen one.

There aren't a lot of them out here, but 2 within 30 minutes of us. The one we like the best is Home Meats, in Shelton, WA. That is over an hour each way.

Actually, as a kid I enjoyed my mother taking me to a butcher shop in the Smokies. There was very little pre-cut meat, mostly he asked what kind of meal my mother wanted to make, then would offer suggestions on cuts, size, thickness, etc. and then would prepare just what she wanted. Maybe it is just a memory that has grown better with age, but no sausage has ever tasted as good since.

I would hate to see what kind of prices a place with service like that would require.

We eat a wide variety of meats, including seafood and shelfish. Two of our pigs were butchered by Home Meats. Yes, every single cut we have eaten is mouthwatering. I posted a pic of a plate of "Bacon" on my piglet thread.

They are fairly competitive, actually, but that depends on what you buy there. One local Butcher Shop sells smoked salmon, for example. The quality is top notch, so just comparing that same quality at any store? It isn't more expensive! We were able to try a number of different meat products from Home Meats, everything was delicious. Our interest would be in beef. They work with local farmers; sell individual pkgs or special selection packages. We were so impressed by Home Meats, we will make the trip when we need to. My in-laws live near there, so we can combine trips when we visit them.

texican · #50 03/16/12, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chamoisee

I just ask the local dept of ag inspector. She tells me who's good to buy from. We happen to be friends; I don't know if she's allowed to make recommendations to the general public. She does have good inside info though, such as the difference between Organic Valley (fairly good) and Horizon Organics (NOT good at all) dairy products. Or you can do your research. I won't buy Cascadian Farms, for example, whereas I will buy from Earthbound....although given a choice I will prefer the farmers market.

I've been around farmers and ranchers all my life, and have never heard of there even being an Ag Inspector in these parts... Might be!, but never heard of one...

farmergirl · #51 03/16/12, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

We have a farmers market near where I live. Everything is supposed to be grown in the state. That is one of the conditions all sellers must go by.
They sell bananas.

Bananas can be grown with care here in Central Texas. Not sure where you are, but it's quite possible that the bananas are grown in your state.

oregon woodsmok · #52 03/16/12, 04:14 PM

Don't assume that produce at the farmer's market is local nor grown with great care.

I talk to a lot of people who market at their local farmer's market, so I know that a lot of venders buy their produce at the same depot where the grocery stores buy. The venders in the East often buy their produce at the Amish produce auctions.

Where I live, local growers are not allowed to sell at the farmer's market. We have a short growing season and the market wants to be open all summer. So they rent the tables to growers from the other side of the mountains. There are no tables available for locals who only have veggies available for about 1 month out of the year.

And believe me: nobody is growing pineapples in central Oregon. So "locally grown" doesn't even mean "grown in Oregon".

before you feel all warm and fuzzy about your farmer's market vender, you'd better be asking him some tough questions.

chamoisee · #53 03/16/12, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texican

I've been around farmers and ranchers all my life, and have never heard of there even being an Ag Inspector in these parts... Might be!, but never heard of one...

There should be one. Call this number to find out: US Department of Agriculture Carthage, TX, 75633 - YP.com In order for anyone to be certified organic, they have to be inspected regularly.

pancho · #54 03/16/12, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farmergirl

Bananas can be grown with care here in Central Texas. Not sure where you are, but it's quite possible that the bananas are grown in your state.

Not a single banana grower in the entire state. There is a port that handles much of the bananas imported to the U.S.

**ladycat** · #55 03/16/12, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oregon woodsmok

Don't assume that produce at the farmer's market is local nor grown with great care.

I talk to a lot of people who market at their local farmer's market, so I know that a lot of venders buy their produce at the same depot where the grocery stores buy.

Almost all the produce sold at the Farmer's Market here is purchased from a wholesaler. The same stuff you get in the grocery store at twice the price!

I buy as much organic as possible, it's not easy.

By taking advantage of sales, coupons, and markdowns, I get organic produce and other organic products at reasonable prices- often even cheaper than the conventional counterparts!