Spring is just around the corner. With this time of the year comes a whole host of beautiful fruits & vegetables of all shapes and colors! Ah the beauty!
Until then most of us are relegated to buying our produce from grocery stores, which as our analysis has shown, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Our final trip to local a grocery store yielded very similar results.
The beans – really, I think the brand itself is just a poor quality one although being certified USDA Organic. Truly, that breaks my heart. In all three stores they were all degrading and in this particular store it was so nauseating that I didn’t even take the photo below using them. The beans were literally slimy although still being within the best by date.
During our expedition we purposely withheld the name of the grocery stores. You are savvy people, you likely figured it out. Test you skills by clicking on the photos below. What we also withheld was that each trip we held ourselves to a $45 budget. In some cases the selection was minimal so we had to double up on some products.
So what have we learned? Well, there are pros & cons to buying organic produce from grocery store chains.
Pros:
• Ease of access
• Year round availability
• Modest selections
Cons:
• Costly
• ORGANIC DOES NOT EQUAL FRESH
In other words, it can be risky. We buy organic to avoid the dangers of pesticides and chemicals. It is reassuring to know someone somewhere took the time to care for the very soil that grew our food. Examination of the NOP (National Organic Program) basic requirements reveals continuous and strenuous effort goes into the land of organic farmers and into the produce that results. So we are very thankful for said effort. The goal of this series is not to discredit organic farmers. In fact we ourselves have begun the arduous organic certification process. This means that although not currently certified, ALL OF OUR PRACTICES must adhere to NOP guidelines. The goal of this article is however to help you enhance your vegetable purchasing experience. How? Enter Kith & Kin CSA. Kith & Kin CSA will feed your family of 4 fresh organic produce for 12 weeks at, you guessed it, $45 a week. Our produce is harvested the day before delivery, meaning that it is no more than 24 hours old when you take possession of it. Trust us, there something so very tasty about eating fresh food. It requires less cooking and less seasoning due to the natural flavors being so fantastic! So if you are ready for a change and want to try something new then give Kith & Kin a try. More details here. From our family to yours!