How to Save Money on Produce
In a previous post, I talked about the first six ways to save money on buying produce.
This post is part of a series on How to Save Money on Real Food where we cover how to save money on meat, produce, grains, and dairy.
Here are a few more ideas on how to cut your produce bill.
Shop farmer’s markets and roadside stands for organic quality produce.
If you’re looking to incorporate more organic produce into your family’s menu, shopping farmer’s markets is one of the best ways to keep the cost down. Many small farmers don’t want to spend the money to get their farms certified as organic, but they employ organic farming practices. Just ask the vendor if their food is pesticide-free.
And don’t just pass by those roadside produce stands. The strawberry huts on the Eastside of Portland have the most delicious and affordable fruit around — all grown in the owner’s backyard.
Join a CSA.
CSAs (community supported agriculture) are “a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. CSAs usually consist of a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables and fruit” (source).
You buy a “share” in the farm up-front, usually in the winter or early spring, and receive a portion of the bounty every week throughout the growing season. Like buying a portion of beef, this is a large wad of cash to pay out all at once, so it is probably smart to save throughout the year.
CSAs usually open in the winter and fill up quickly, especially in the Northwest. Check out Local Harvest for CSAs in your area and our post, The Truth About CSA’s.
Check out delivery services.
This is a great option for those of you looking to buy organic and don’t want to drive around getting it yourself.
You can also find local buying clubs/groups that band together to get a discount on produce and other “real” food direct from distributors and farmers. Search craigslist or google it. If you are apart of a buying group that is currently accepting members, please leave a comment!
Ask for discounts.
If you’re planning to purchase a large quantity from a store or farmer, ask for a volume discount. Chances are the more product you are willing to buy, the larger the discount. You could go one step further and form an informal buying group with people from your church, child’s school, or neighborhood and really negotiate the savings.
Make sure you have the time and supplies to deal with what you buy or grow.
There’s nothing worse than not having the time to deal with the boxes of peaches you just picked and letting them rot. Set aside the money for correctly preserving the produce you have. Stock up on canning supplies at garage sales (check out our canning guide and resources here), or swipe your parent’s unused stash (not speaking from experience or anything), wash out used Ziploc bags, and stash them away.
Find more ways to saving money on real food here.
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Bountiful Baskets is available where I live (south of Tacoma) & offers a fantastic deal on conventional produce ($15), and also bread (5 loaves of organic 9-grain for $2.50 per loaf). But for organic produce, I priced out the items & wasn’t as impressed (at $25, the price was only marginally better than a similar assortment from Terra Organics, which offers home delivery. And while BB’s quality was decent/fine, TO’s produce was clearly better & fresher). I also used to split a share at Take Root Farm in Buckley with a coworker, which worked out around the same price each – plus we got u-pick herbs & flowers – but when my coworker moved out of the area, I couldn’t justify gas or time to make the trip every week. In my free time, I experiment with gardening… but there’s a huge learning curve. I’m not nearly to the point where I feel I can feed myself cheaper than the professional farmers can.
I just joined a co-op called Bountiful Baskets. You place your order during the week, pay $15 and pick up 30-40 lb of fresh fruits and veggies on Saturday morning. I have been very pleased with what I have gotten so far.
I tend to hit farmer’s markets nearer to closing time, which is a gamble that sometimes pays off — there are fewer options to choose from, but merchants are more ready to make deals. This is especially true for perishable items like berries and such, and especially true if you’re willing to buy larger quantities.
Roxy – what is the new produce store in Sherwood??
Ann, how do the prices of Organics to You compare to the ones in the grocery store?
I do the Organics to You delivery, and LOVE it! Just about every week, there is at least one item which is somewhat unusual (to me), and it makes me get really creative and adventurous in the kitchen.
I like to scout the clearance produce at small produce markets or farm stores. Last week, at the new produce store in Sherwood, I snagged a produce bag full of “almost too old” green bell peppers for 50 cents. I sliced them up and froze them to use later. What a great deal to fill in the gap until my I can harvest peppers straight out of my garden. *knocks on wood*