“I could never use coupons. My family doesn’t eat that kind of food.”
You’ve heard this line before, right? You are trying to convince a friend on the merits of couponing, and they fire this well-rehearsed line back at you. I know it well. It’s the excuse I used for several years before I finally decided to see what this coupon hype was all about. My couponing habits have changed over the years, but I have found that it really is possible to be a conscious consumer and couponer at the same time.
One thing I have been thinking about quite a bit lately is our connection, or lack thereof, to the land. It bothers me that we are losing the connection between what we buy and how/where it was raised.
Think back in your family just a few generations ago; people’s lives were tied so closely to the soil. Crop performance, weather patterns, and herd health all had a direct and powerful impact on their lives. Not so much today. If oranges are too expensive because of a freak frost in Florida, we buy apples instead. If blueberries are super cheap in January, we toss them in the cart even though they lack any flavor or personality. If it’s too much hassle to be bothered with a farmers market, we go to a grocery store instead.
We often settle for less because we are busy and our budgets are tight. I get it; I am right there with you.
I think about these issues all the time. I think about it while my kids are munching on those perfectly shaped, often slimy baby carrots. I think about it when I compare cartons of eggs. I think about it when the price of bananas skyrocket or when good beef is hard to find or when my daughter begs for “fruit” snacks.
While the convenience and efficiency of supermarket shopping can be a beautiful thing, I think it’s important for us to be interested and informed consumers. I want my kids to know that carrots are beautifully slender root vegetables that are pulled out of the soil in a wide variety of sizes and shapes and colors. I want to do more research on how cows are raised and slaughtered. I want people to understand how eggs go from hen to carton. I want my daughter to know what a real peach tastes like. I want to support small family farms that are working really hard to produce a good product.
Ok, before this little speech gets too I-have-a-dream! for a Thursday morning, here are a few simple ideas to establish or maintain a connection to the land and an understanding about the food we buy:
:: Educate yourself. As you know, agriculture and the food industry are hot topics right now. The resources are limitless. Check out Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology (Amazon) by Eric Brende, How to Pick a Peach (Amazon) by Russ Parsons, or anything by Michael Pollan (Food Rules (Amazon) is a fast read and a great place to start).
Not a big reader? Watch a documentary; King Corn (Amazon), The Botany of Desire (Amazon), and Food, Inc. (Amazon) are some of the best I’ve seen on the topic. I am not encouraging you to swallow everything the authors feed you, but it should give your brain something to chew on.
It’s also great to educate yourself on where the food you buy is grown and how it is raised. Check the sticker on that apple or avocado. Read the label on the milk carton or meat package. All will list the country/state of origin. What do labels like all-natural, cage-free, vegetarian-feed, omega-3, or rBST-free really mean? All of this research will help you make more informed decisions with your money.
:: Germinate Seeds Indoors. You can do a quick project to observe the process or start your own seedlings to transplant to the garden.
:: Grow a garden. “What does growing some of your own food have to do with repairing your relationship to food and eating? Everything. To take part in the intricate and endlessly interesting processes of providing for your sustenance is the surest way to escape the culture of fast food and the values implicit in it: that food should be fast, cheap, and easy; that food is the product of industry, not nature; that food is fuel rather than a form of communication with other people…” – Michael Pollan
If growing some of your own food is not a possibility, be creative! Check out some of the ideas below:
:: Dig in the dirt. Ok, I know I’ve mentioned this many times over the past several weeks, but there is an education waiting to happen in your backyard. By allowing your kids to get their hands dirty, they will learn about seeds and soil, weeds and compost. And have a good time doing it. My toddler counts herself the resident expert in our house on slugs [bad] and worms [good].
Don’t have any dirt to call your own? Borrow some! Squeeze your kids into their rainboots and explore a local farm, garden stand, or friend’s yard. Many of my happiest childhood memories involved dirt.
:: Buy/Pick produce in season. Growing seasons are totally blurred in the supermarket setting. Watermelons are available in December and cantaloupe are on sale in February.We can pretty much find any produce we want anytime we want it these days.
However, by buying produce out of season, I think we are training our tastebuds to forget what good produce should really taste like when picked at its peak of flavor. Fresh asparagas should snap in your fingers. Strawberries should be soft and sweet. Watermelon juice should drip down your chin in the heat of July. Buying bum produce, no matter how cheap, is a waste of money.
:: Join a CSA or buy from a small farmer. You can also check Craigslist for small farmers selling locally-grown produce, eggs, or meat near you.
:: Wander through a Farmer’s Market. Step away from the neon lights of the grocery store. Show your children carrots with dirt still on them. Buy some brightly-colored beets. Help them pick out fresh ears of corn. Show them lettuce that does not come in a bag with a side of Caesar dressing. Point out kale or eggplant or other vegetables you might not regularly purchase in the grocery store.
There is something incredibly refreshing about seeing produce that has not been waxed and stickered and packaged to within an inch of its life. Farmers markets can be one of the best places to educate yourself on what produce is currently in season and growing locally. It is also satisfying to support the hard-working farmers who grow it.
Leave a comment. Agree? Disagree? Think I am crazy?
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Good thoughts. It is a passion of mine that people would know that they can afford to buy local, organically grown, sustainable foods. I think this was mentioned in another comment but I recommend checking out a buying club. If you live in the Portland area there are several buying clubs that go in on high quality food purchases from local farmers and bulk suppliers. We are able to feed our five person family pasture raised meats, fresh milk and butter, organic produce and more good food for just $300/mo. You can eat healthy, sustainable food!
This is such a great topic! It is so important to choose foods that add to our health (and dental health!) instead of making us run down to save some cash. Also, I am picky about the toiletries I buy since I read about the study (a couple years ago) which showed that 89% of breast cancer tumors have detectable levels of parabens inside them…parabens are those preservatives listed in toiletry ingredients. There are a bunch of other suspicious chemicals too…and contrary to what I used to think, there is almost no government regulation on products that go on the outside of us (they are still operating on the disproven idea that nothing is absorbed through our skin). Anyway, I still find things to coupon with (like some foods, and toothbrushes, floss, diapers), and love this website for giving the heads up on so much of it. Even internet ordering can use coupons, like code RON268 for $5 off at iherb.com, which is where I buy much of our personal care products. Trader Joe’s has one shampoo for cheap without parabens, and they have a great fennel toothpaste for $2.
Very well said. I use coupons on many items (toiletries, laundry products, and certain foods) so that I have money in my budget freed up to spend on better quality items such as meat, produce, and dairy. I’ve got a small vegetable garden which will be at least doubled in size this year. Toying with the idea of a couple of chickens, but not sure I’m ready for that yet. Nothing tastes better than a salad with fresh greens and tomatoes plucked from the vine just a few minutes before. Sunshine on a plate!
When you buy something, you are making statements/sending messages–I use this product, I appreciate this product been made. The manufacturers will get the message and make them more. That’s why I don’t buy certain things (Frankenfoods, overly processed foods) even when they are free with coupons.
Going back to the earth for me has gone hand-in-hand with getting back to community-based living. As you mentioned, farmer’s markets are a great way to get back in touch with real food…and people! I liked the quote that food is “a form of communication with people.” How true!
When I can, I garden in a community plot with a few friends. We all chip in for the supplies and share the harvest when it comes. When I can’t garden, I take turns with my friends going to local farms and buying produce in bulk for all of us. Then we split the costs and eat fresh veggies for the whole week. You can’t lose! My kids always loved their visits to the U-Pick when fruits were in season. It lets them know that real fruit snacks grow on trees and bushes. 🙂
If you haven’t already heard of it, jump on the collaborative consumption bandwagon. It’s the best solution I’ve some across so far to the dilemma of conscious consumerism. My friends and I use a free online tool called SplitStuff (http://splitstuff.com) to organize our “splits”–we get major discounts both at local farms and from distributors who sell us dry goods in bulk…And when we garden, we buy seeds and other basics together, producing a yield that costs us pennies per person!
Even in crowded NJ there are plenty of farms fields so my kids see farmers and farmers at work all the time. But I like to bring them to an apple orchard now and then just to make sure they know where food – at least the veggie kind – comes from.
Want to let you know-your post awhile back inspired me to plant radishes about 3 weeks ago & they are growing great! I was a little surprised as wet as it has been and not all that much sun. I have always planted a vegetable garden-but have never started outside this early-so Thank-you!
Also believe I saw signs at Safeway last summer about which produce was bought locally (anyone else notice that-my memory isn’t always that great?)-was glad to see it, as I like to buy made in USA and even more so from our local area. Have gained more awareness of this recently with our high unemployment. This applies not only to food.
Totally agree. I recommend Michael Pollan’s books, too–he really gets to the heart of the matter in a way everyone can understand. I also recommend “Fast Food Nation.” Why do you think we can get cereal and fruit snacks for free so often? Because the ingredients are CHEAP and ADDICTING. Frugality is good, coupons can be good, real food is good. I love that there are so many local and organic food sources in the Northwest!
This is such a timely topic. I have been in poor health for awhile now and am learning how much of it is due to what I eat. My body- and my 8 year old daughter’s- are very sensitive to msg, aspartame, refined and processed anything. This has led me on a path of learning about food and its effects. There are many studies showing that a lot of our modern health problems are due to our diets- that nonorganic produce has many toxins and few of the antioxidants that we eat it for… Organic Valley had a link in their enewsletter today ‘Organics in the news’ which has a lot of information.
On the other hand, I think it easy to get overwhelmed if you try to make too many changes. I search hard for healthy/organic/produce/enviro friendly coupons and am going to try a CSA for the first time this year. The more organic coupons we use, the more they will become available. Thank you for opening up this very, very important discussion.
I sooooo appreciate the topic of conscientous couponing. I have become quite passionate about the food I feed my family with the focus being on whole and organic! When I started this transition I immediately googled “organic coupons”! I am still pretty new at couponing (only about a year in) but I was thrilled to see coupons for organic and whole foods too! Thank you so much for sharing and seeing the connection between nutrition, whole foods, optimum health, etc.!
Oh! I said I only coupon on toiletries – but that is not really true. My family and I have started using baking soda for 1/2 of our shampooing. I wash my face with honey, moisturize with coconut oil. I use coupons for toilet paper and feminine supplies, light bulbs… but I have become extremely picky on what I put on or into my body. I save money, too…
This is a great article with great information! I got into couponing and tried to tell myself most of the food you can buy really wasn’t too bad and my family and I ate it for about 6 months until my health went straight downhill. I only coupon on toiletries and just look for the best deals, go to the local stores, and visit the farmer markets. Life is so much happier and healthier! It’s great to save money, but even better to save your health! I am hoping to get some land, a cow, chickens and grow much of my own food now. I love your website because it does help me find good deals in the nw.
Bless you for speaking on this! True, the rush of finding a great deal at the supermarket and the thrill of the creating ‘stockpiles’ is fantastic! Especially for some things like toiletries, paper goods, and certain canned items. But less us not forget the importance and sheer treasure of QUALITY, LOCAL, REAL food! There are no prices low enough to justify replacing it! I too have fallen prey to the convenience and prices of the grocery store offerings, believe you me. So I am greatly appreciative that you used this platform to remind everyone what REAL food is all about, and how we can be both food savvy and conscientious consumers at the same time!
LOVE! I shop at New Seasons, as they are a locally owned company, who strive to stock as much local produce as possible. Do I pay more? Yes. A lot more? No. I stockpile organic items when they’re on a super sale, but mostly we eat a whole foods diet. I feel good when my cart is filled with a colorful palette. We expanded our home garden by 200% since last summer growing garlic we planted last October, onions in March, and all kinds of new things just waiting to get in the ground once it warms up. I’d like to recommend Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, it is a lovely (I’m 32 and just said lovely), book about a year of living off their land. Best read so far this year.
I am a Tillamook dairy farmer’s daughter. I love your website. Your postst are insightful and refreshing. I often lament how little consumers really know about their foods, how they are produced and what kind of care and attention to detail most farmers give to their product. Agribusiness may have become a big industry, but that is not the farmers’ faults. They are paid pennies on the dollar for what we spend at the grocery store, work many, many hours a day and have the repsonsibility of caring for their land on top of it all. Put the blame for processed food where it belongs: on middle men and consumers who have forgotten how to cook for themselves. Buying locally and responsibily eduacting yourself is the way to go.
Thanks for a great post.
We need to treat our farmers better–so many are going out of business, I’m afraid for what the future holds! A lot of knowledge is being lost when small family farms are taken over by big business. They deserve better!!!
What a great post! I have been thinking about these issues lately as well. Last night at Safeway, I decided to buy organic apples for a change, because I read that article about apples being one the “dirty dozen.” The organic ones seemed so plain looking and bruised, compared to the shiny, perfect-looking regular ones, and for a second I almost turned away to get the pretty ones. Then I was like, what am I thinking? They are so pretty looking because they are waxed!
I am glad you posted this as well. Along with my produce garden when May comes around our local farmers market opens. Since I am town most days I buy 1-2 days worth of really delish fresh produce. I love going there. I buy no produce at the store in the summer months.
The coupons help us out a whole bunch with snacks, SO coconut millk and gluten free goodies 🙂 I am all about letting people how little I spend on food. Its cooler to save money 🙂
Coming from a part of the country with very harsh winters, I definitely disagree that eating nonseasonal/nonlocal produce makes our taste buds forget what the real stuff is. I know the difference between potatoes/apples stored in the root cellar or basement till April and hothouse miniature peppers from Costco. Neither is as good as September’s bounty, but shriveled potatoes with the mold spots cut off are not clearly BETTER than hothouse peppers.
I am glad you posted this. I love to coupon, but I don’t won’t budge on my standards (though they could always be better). I don’t ever clip any coupons on meat products, because I won’t buy them no matter how cheap they are. I buy meat from Whole Foods because of their standards…..even if it means eating no meat in meals more often. There are some companies I avoid and won’t ever clip their coupons. As always, we just need balance.
Thank you. You got me thinking a few weeks ago with your spring gardening tips. We are going to have our very first garden this year. I want my children, ages 1 and 3, to see that food comes from the ground and not just the grocery store. I’m also hoping we can make a small dent in our produce bill. Thank you again!
I grew up in Seattle in urban housing, but my mom always grew tomatoes, radishes, lettuce, zuchinni, potatoes, rhubarb, cukes,strawberries and a few corn for fun. We also had fruit trees. I can tell you the flavors do not compare to the store. I wish people had time to grow a few things 🙂