While I'm ever at the quest for the most affordable, local and healthy options for my precious family, I always come back to a particular farmer's market in the area.
It's the people whose parents were adults in the Depression...and a few farmers are grandchildren of the Depression-era. There aren't many vendors - maybe five regularly, although it can be as many as nine or 10 in the summer months.
I'm always greeted with warmth and smiles (even when it's in the 20s!).
There is laughter and good conversation - leave your small talk at home (alleluia!).
And the quality: SUPERB.
The service: UNMATCHED.
The prices: FANTASTIC.
Carrots 1.50/bunch
Napa cabbage 1.50/ lb
Parsley 1.50/bunch
Traditional cabbage 50 cents/lb
Red potatoes 1.00/lb
Everything pictured: 10.50
I'm aiming to implement Jeff Yeager's, the Ultimate Cheapskate, principle of paying 1.00/lb or less for all items. This week I purchased no meat, since we have some in our deep freezer.
Aiming for 1.00/lb or less has been rotten a few times. Literally. Like the food is not quite as fresh or crunchy or maybe it's just "too crendy" as Rita says. Crendy = ????? (no true translation). She has called my hair (on a bad hair day) "crendy" and something this is strange tasting or not to her liking is also "crendy." Best. Kid. Ever. Anyway, the 1.00/lb "rule" has been mostly good, so I do my best to stick to it for produce by purchasing what is in season rather than mark-downs, if that makes sense. I've made it a point not to buy any meat over 3.99/lb, which allows us red meats on sale and always poultry. Some weeks I splurge with bacon, I probably average that splurge once a month. We save so much by cooking at home. I want to cook what we love to eat, hence bacon monthly.
My PSA:
Please visit localharvest.org to find a farmers market near you or if a CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture) works for you then sign-up! A CSA is usually just a simple pick-up and drop-off system. I enjoy stocking-up on what I can by attending market. But with a baby expected to arrive in April I am considering (although, not too seriously, because sometimes a momma outing is just what I need) a CSA just for this spring (about $10/week for a full brown grocery bag of produce-mostly veggies).
7in7 D-O-N-E!!!
NOTES:
- Hooray to getting the draft count down and to sharing some posts I didn't want to lose and to finally cranking out Jo's birth story - 'cause another is on the way! 33 weeks! Can't go more than a couple days past 41 weeks - I feel like this is the home stretch!
- Happy Happy Sunday and have a happy Mardi Gras! The kiddos have leaky faucet noses so we are laying low, and this momma is happy about that!
- Probably not keeping-up the posting on a daily basis - but going to keep you updated as we await our very active bambino, who happens to LOVE when I eat PB&J.
