organic foods - budget buster?

Every financial decision in our lives is a delicate dance between what's important to us and what we can actually afford. The organic food dilemma is a perfect example of this. Would we all like to eat completely organic fruits & veggies, untainted by any and all chemical exposure? Of course. Do organic fruits & veggies taste better than conventionally-grown produce? In many cases, yes. Can we all afford to eat exclusively organic? Sadly, no.

Each of us have our own beliefs, fears, & medical conditions that all play a part in this organic foods question. If surveyed, I would say that eating organic fruits & veggies is moderately important to me. I would much rather not ingest chemicals into my body; however, I also purchase many conventionally-grown items, mostly due to budget constraints. I am sharing my guidelines & money-saving methods with you so that you can walk out of the grocery next time satisfied with your food choices and your register receipt.

First, you can consider buying your organic & non-organic foods according to the Top 12 Contaminated List.

Dirty Dozen: (these are in order, 1 being the most contaminated)
1. Peaches
2. Strawberries
3. Apples
4. Spinach
5. Nectarines
6. Celery
7. Pears
8. Cherries
9. Potatoes
10. Sweet Bell Peppers
11. Raspberries
12. Imported Grapes


Conventional O.K. (top 12 least contaminated, again, in order):
1. Sweet Corn
2. Avocados
3. Pineapples
4. Cauliflower
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Onions
9. Broccoli
10. Bananas
11. Kiwis
12. Papayas

As a general rule, we assume that anything with edible skin is more contaminated than those with thick, inedible skin. However, some plants are just more pest & disease resistant without any chemicals.

Once you have identified which foods you still want to purchase that are on the Dirty Dozen list, you can try to find the best prices on those items.

Many people enjoy co-ops, where you buy food as a group & then split it between the members. Co-ops are often found in metropolitan or suburban areas. Usually, you are required to work periodically splitting & passing out the food in order to maintain membership in the co-op. Some co-ops have many more food items that just fresh produce.

Another way to purchase your produce more cheaply is through a CSA. CSAs are usually only found on larger farms, and you must travel to the farm to pick up your produce. If you live close to a farming area, this might be a good option for you. CSAs typically require you to buy a share or a half-share of all the produce the farm grows. Then, the produce is divided between members based on what is harvested at the time. Members usually don't choose specific items.

A much smaller-scale way to find organic produce is through a local farmer's market. Some farmers at the market advertise as "pesticide-free," which might be acceptable for you. An organic label requires the soil to be chemical-free for a certain number of years among other restrictions. Perhaps you don't need food grown with all of the restrictions required for organic labeling.

Of course, one of the cheapest ways to get organic food is to grow it yourself. Even if you've never had a green thumb, you don't have to be intimidated by starting a few plants. Each year's garden is a learning process. The only steps you need to take in the beginning are to designate a plot in your backyard or a container if you don't have any yardspace & make sure your location can get some sun. Then, plant your seeds or seedling & keep the soil damp. Once the plant gets bigger, you can let up on the water a bit. Most sun-loving vegetables (like tomatoes) enjoy a drier soil. If your leaves start to look droopy, water your plant. My preschooler can tell when plants need to be watered. "Your plant looks sad, Mommy." If a 3-year-old can do it, I know you can, too. Remember again that each year's garden is a learning process and if you can stick with it for even 3 years, you will be amazed at how much more you know & how much more successful you are after the third season.

Since March is almost halfway gone, we are going to focus on starting some seedlings today. Don't let a lack of experience or a small hang-up in the process get in your way. If you don't know what to do, just try what you think might work. Any effort is better than no effort. If you have questions, post them in the comments.

Get Moving: You only need three items: a container, some soil & some seeds. For your container, you can use small planting pots if you have them, or you can cut an egg carton into little individual "pots" if you poke a couple small holes in the bottom for drainage. Fill your pots with soil. I like potting soil best, but if you don't have any potting soil & you would rather not buy some, go ahead & dig some soil up from your backyard & fill your pots with that. A place where tree branches or leaves have been rotting would be an excellent place to dig up your soil.

Add 2-3 seeds on top & push them lightly into the soil. Dollar stores have seeds 10/$1.00 at this time of year.

Now keep your soil moist and your seeds will soon sprout. The easiest way to do this is to place a little saucer or spare plastic lid under each pot & water the plant when there is no water underneath. I like to put the water in the saucer underneath until the plant sprouts so that I don't disturb the seeds.