Buying Organic Food - You Can Afford It

Buying organic food: from healthy nutritious snack foods to organic meats, fruits and vegetables. Where to buy organic foods? Almost all stores have an organic section: look for organic food labeling.

Buying organic food can be affordable. I know many of us would like to 'go organic' but are put off by the idea that it is too expensive. Before I started to buy organic food, I thought the same. And likely, at one time, organic food cost was higher. But it's important to understand how to buy organic food; to make it affordable.

We want to feed our children and ourselves with food that is healthier than conventionally produced and pesticide-laden food. We are also growing more concerned about our environment and the welfare of animals; and the impact intensive farming and the use of pesticides on our planet.

However, organic food has been branded as being too expensive.

Let's explore some ideas and facts about where to buy organic food, affordably. The goal is to find ways of buying organic food - you can afford it; and to recognize that organic food is an investment in your health and the health of the planet.

The bigger picture shows that we actually pay more for non-organic food than we do for organic. Organic food is produced in a different way to conventionally, intensively farmed produce.

• First, organic farmers use crop-rotation and good husbandry (that is ensuring the soil has the right nutrients in the right balance, without using agri-chemicals)
• Second, the farmers also look after the welfare of their animals and feed them organic produce
• Third, they conserve the natural environment and do not disturb local eco-systems. The wildlife is left alone to thrive

This organic way of doing things produces healthier food, healthier animals and a healthier environment. Yes, it costs more to produce this way than the conventional way.

But do we pay less for non-organic food? The answer is an emphatic 'no'. We pay more than once for our mass-produced non-organic food.

• First, we pay at the shop counter
• Second, we pay for agricultural subsidies (funding given to conventional producers) through our taxes
• Then, we pay a third time for the horrors produced in the environment by intensive farming (e.g; Mad Cow's Disease or BSE), again through our taxes

In reality, we pay less in the mid to long-term for organic food.

The short-term view is of course the immediate reality. We can only budget with the money that we actually have in our purse or wallet. But if we plan our organic purchases well, we can ensure that they are more affordable.

• Buy organic fruits, vegetables, meats and more that are in-season and locally grown. If you want tomatoes, carrots, greens and more in the middle of winter, try to find local organic produce that is canned or stored or frozen. The further it has to travel, the more expensive it is likely to be.
• While we are on the subject of travel, try to buy using the 100 mile rule: buy products that have been grown and/or produced within a 100 mile radius. You will be able to buy fresher, the food will travel shorter distances, and it will likely last longer. You will also be able to buy smaller amounts if locally produced (either at the shops or through online delivery).
• Consider buying bulk and splitting the order with close family or friends. For example, at the beginning of winter I buy 50 lbs each of organic carrots, potatoes, beets and onions. My sister and I split the bags or boxes of vegetables and store them in our basements (in a cool and dry place) - my husband actually puts sand in the containers to keep them dry and fresh. This is a cost effective way to buy organic food.
• At the end of the harvest, buy organic juices and healthy, nutritious snack foods (such as organic dried apples, dried apricots, dried cranberries, and more).

Let's look at other ways of 'going organic': you can grow your own organic vegetable garden and organic fruits; you can buy from local farmers markets; you can go to restaurants that specialize in organic foods; you can check out the organic sections of your local grocery store (and ask your store manager to add more to that section if it is poorly stocked).

When looking where to buy organic foods, always check out the local stores first. Then, look online! Yes, online organic food stores are growing and are quite competitively priced. Make sure that your organic foods do carry the organic food labeling that certifies it is being grown and processed using organic methods.

Additional Reading

• Wholesale Organic Foods

• Organic Fruit Delivery

• Organic Food Store

• Organic Food Coupons

• Buying Organic Food: Ways of Doing It Economically.

• Buy Organic Food: Part 2

• Buy Organic Food: Part 1

• Return from Buying Organic Food: You Can Afford it to Organic Food For Everyone Home Page