San Diego Farmers Market Manager

Smart Strategies for Saving on Organic Food
Posted by Suzanne Delzio (sdelzio) on Feb 24 2011
Newsletter Articles Blog >> group one

Ask any non-organic or pesticide-free friend why they choose pesticide-impacted produce and most likely, they’ll say: “organic is too expensive.”

It’s hard to argue with that one.

Because organic food is produced on a smaller scale, it tends to be more pricey. But if you are dedicated to the more robust flavors and health benefits of organic produce, you can find ways to save.

Buy in Bulk (when on sale), Eat in Season and Freeze or Can

Yes, these strategies involve more work, but cooks also gain the convenience and satisfaction of serving healthy, flavorful foods. Did you know that you can buy organic cheese and butter in bulk, divide it and it will stay well in the freezer for six months?

Those who enjoy the abundance supplied by local organic and pesticide-free farms through a community-supported agriculture program often stretch their harvest dollar by freezing the fresh fruits and vegetables they don’t use that week. A small box feeds a family of 4 for one week for just $25. Even the most frugal shoppers admit they appreciate the cost savings involved in their weekly harvest.

Why? CSA farmers pick what’s ripe and get it to you within days (or the same day in many cases). They’re harvesting and you’re eating in season. Eating in season is both cost beneficial and guarantees that your food will be fresher, since you aren't having to pay to have it shipped in from another state or country.

To Freeze: Cut fruit or vegetables into equal sizes, spread evenly on a baking sheet and freeze until hard. Slide frozen chunks into re-sealable plastic bags for more convenient storage. If you plan to store them for more than a few weeks, blanch them first by dropping them in boiling water for three minutes. This step inactivates the enzymes that could destroy nutrients.

To Can: Canning is making quite a comeback. Potential bacterial infestation make this both an art and a science. Do you remember the Ball canning jars? With the domination of grocery store canned and frozen food, one may have thought Ball jar company had gone the way of the dinosaur.

Not so. At www.freshpreserving.com/, Ball gives you all kinds of tips and even a free e-Newsletter. Good for Ball for staying the course! It must be enjoying quite a comeback.

Saving at the Organic Chains

Whole foods, whole paycheck? Boy, did that moniker get stuck in Whole Foods craw, particularly when America’s once robust economy sunk into the Great Recession. By 2009, Whole Foods got wise to the thrifty new customer and began to experiment with ways to convince shoppers that it was changing its pricey ways.

After big brainstorming sessions, Whole Foods introduced the “value tour,” where an employee will guide you around the store, showing you just where the best bargains are. Call your local store to see when you can arrange for your own personal expedition.

Then, they introduced some aggressive coupons through their Whole Deal Newsletter that you can just download, print out and turn over to your cashier. Apparently, these changes had some impact. By 2010, customer perception of Whole Foods as just too expensive dropped from 20% to 10%. Good work, Whole Foods!

Coupon Crazy

Dedicated coupon clippers will go nuts on the Organic Grocery Coupon guide. It lists the information, newsletters and current coupons for hundreds of organic food companies.

You can also take advantage of these companies’ panic to become hip and relevant through social media. A brand name search on www.Facebook.com quickly turned up coupons from Kashi, Annie’s Naturals and Cascadian Farms. Of course you have to “Like” their page, but if you do, you’ll be able to keep up with any current coupons they publish. Comment on their page and most likely they’ll send you even more love in the form of offers.

Smart Strategies for Saving on Organic Food

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