In Search of Food...

I am always searching for the best deal on organic foods.  When we moved into our new home I had part of the yard sectioned off to form a garden.  I still have grand plans for that garden, even though I have no idea what I am doing.   In the meantime, I have participated in Desert Roots Farm CSA, Bountiful Baskets Co-op and gone to various farmer's markets.  This week I tried a new source of local, organic (though not "certified") produce: The Backyard Farmer. Delivered right to my door, I had until Sunday night to pick exactly what I wanted.

Here is the contents of my box for which I paid $38.50. I ended up with 2 lbs each of kidney and pinto beans, 1/2 lb of spinach, 3 heads of garlic, 4 lemons, 1 oz basil, 1 lb broccoli, 2 heads of bok choy, 1 bunch of kale, 2 heads of romaine, 2 lbs of yams, radishes, 3 tomato vine clusters and 1 lb of heirloom tomatoes.  There are some bulk buys I want to do in the future and attempt to learn the art of canning.
In comparison to the grocery store, I think some things would have cost a little less and some about the same...BUT, this is local and delivered to my door (no delivery fee).  I think it is important to support our local, small businesses and farmers so that they don't disappear.  I think it is more important to know where your food comes from. If I have any questions about the origins of my beautiful bunch of kale, I can talk to the person that grew it!

I also used this morning's delivery as a learning opportunity.  My son was so excited to pull out the contents of the box!  We talked about how many yams we had and what color the lemons are...things I should do at the grocery store, but am too intent on making it out with everything on my list without a major meltdown.

I am so excited to use my fresh (picked within the last 2 days!) produce in a new recipe I found for roasted tomato soup on Thursday.  As for tonight...stir fry!  You can email The Backyard Farmer at thebackyardfarmer@live.com to receive his weekly order form and learn more about how the process works.
Where do you go for your best organic buys?

Next post... results of my planned homebirth.