Tuesday, September 9

Follow Up

Thanks for all the info fellow bloggers! I've almost joined a CoOp a couple of times but haven't ever followed through. I don't know what I'm afraid of. Has anyone else (besides Dayna) tried one? Do you save money? Janet, do you take paid orders for your bread? (please)

Well I went to the Pearl Farmer's Market after work on Monday. Next week is the last week of the season. I decided I would spend $10 even though I could have spent a TON more, but that's what I had. I would have liked to have bought a loaf of bread for $5 and a jar of jam for $6. Almost twice as much as the grocery store but twice as good for you right?

For $10 I bought:
-Two tomatoes (little over a pound)
-Three porter peaches (one pound)
-One funny little white space ship-shaped squash
-One pound of fresh purple hull peas (mainly for Gwyn and Wilder). I really don't know what to do with these. I'll have to find some how-to online.
Some really tasty FREE wine samples from a Vineyard at Lake Eufala (can't think of the name right now). Counts right?

Sound reasonable?

9 comments:

Tasha said...

We are current members of the Natural Farms co-op. I think the annual fee is $35, and each week we can choose to purchase a produce and/or a meat bag. The produce bag is a surprise each week, but the contents of the meat bag are posted. The prices recently increased, and with tax and all, it is around $70 for both bags, per week. Once the price increased, and we didn't really see much increase in food, we tapered off in our buying. It seems as though we're spending the same/less buying conventional and organic, for the more important stuff.

Co-op

Pro: We were introduced to some produce and meat that we typically never would have bought. So, it forced us to step out of our comfort zone and get creative.
Con: It forced us to get creative. Some days just weren't meant for creativity, lol. If we didn't come up with something for those 'unusual' items, they went to waste.

Pro: Getting produce items that we normally wouldn't have purchased or don't like, gave us an opportunity to at least introduce those items to Miles.
Con: Sometimes we received items, in multitude, that none of us liked. We were forced to find someone to give them to or throw them out (mangos, yuck! for us).

Pro: They usually supply you with some basics, such as lettuce, tomato, onion...although not in EVERY bag.
Con: There are other 'basics' that we buy every week (avacado, banana) that typically did not come in the bag. So, not only were we spending $30+ on a produce bag, but we were also still buying most of our needed produce.

Con: The meat is frozen and we had a few instances in which the produce was either bad as soon as we brought it home (raspberries), or shortly after.

I think that if we had some choice in the produce and/or meat, we would definitely reconsider, but for now, sadly, we're back at the grocery store.

Tasha said...

Wow! I didn't realize that was so long...sorry!

Tasha said...

LOL...samon?? I think so! Makes you a little queasy, huh?

Tasha said...

4th comment in a row...I am so winning. YEEEESSS (with an arm pump)!

We went to Garlic Rose, then strolled around Brookside and ended up at Starbucks for dessert. Garlic Rose was nice that night...most everyone was outside (we sat inside), and it was Labor Day weekend, so not many patrons. Felt like we were the only ones there, only not in a creepy way, in a romantic way.

Tasha said...

Uh huh, just as I suspected...the competition was too much for them.

Thanks for your comments. I did a lot of things today...don't know how. BUT, I filled a photo album with Miles' NEWBORN pictures, wrote a million blogs, left a million comments, played outside, went to playgroup, colored, bought a new trashcan at Target, cleaned the dining room AND kitchen, and read a little. Wow, thanks for helping me realize my productivity. MOST days are NOT this way. I typically over analyze things to the point of procrastination...or I just outright procrastinate. I've been in 'flying by the seat of my pants' mode the past few days.

P.S. I also choreographed a short but fantastic dance to the Sesame Street theme song...for Miles of course...because he's 1, and he can TOTALLY learn dances!

Would love to do lunch on Friday, unless my grandma wants to go to Target...told her I would take her this week, and well, there's not much left of it...Happy Thursday!

hwall said...

I love Tasha.

Shelly Collins said...

Me too :)

Tasha said...

Ahh...and I love you guys! Lunch Fridays it is!

Walt & Saundra said...

Our favorite from the farmers market is Bee Pollen. The stuff is really amazing, I put it on my cereal every morning. It's like an au naturel multi vitamin, and its made in oklahoma. :) Plus, I think it helps get rid of extra baby weight. Or it could be nursing a 20 lb plus baby who refuses to eat any solid food but a few organic cheerios...