There is great debate at the moment on whether it is worthwhile purchasing organic food as it is usually much more expensive than conventional food. The advantages of organic food are well documented, however in my eyes it really comes down to one issue, do you and your children really want to eat pesticides with your food? Assuming your answer is no and you want to go down the organic food route, then how do you go about keeping the cost down?
Grow your own The cheapest method has got to be to grow your own. The great thing is that it doesn't require you to have much garden space, or even a garden at all! We grow tomatoes, and strawberries in containers and the extra benefit is that you get total control over the growing conditions. The best combination is to have organic soil together with organically produced seeds or plants, that way you ensure you get the full flavor and benefit. Containers can be placed anywhere that receives a reasonable amount of daylight, which means that you can use them on balconies or other hard surfaces.
Look for your local suppliers One of the most satisfying things to do is to buy organic food locally. That way you get the freshest ingredients for your kitchen and also get to support local businesses. With no transportation costs for the supplier too you should get very competitive prices. Don't forget that these same businesses will be employing local staff so you are also helping the local economy, everybody wins in this scenario.
Local markets We visit a big monthly market held on a disused airstrip. Organic food is just one of the variety of items sold there but the prices are very, very good indeed. Of course they are all local suppliers and with several of them in one place we benefit from healthy competition and get to sample a lot of fruit!
Local box schemes If you are unable to get out of your house or are too busy working to select your groceries by hand then why not subscribe to an organic box scheme? You will receive, delivered to your door, a weekly selection of fruit and vegetables in season.
Farm shops Finally, investigate whether any farms near you are operating an organic farm shop. Our local one is operated on an open farm so that you can go and see where the animals are being kept and take a look at the crops being grown. They actually have a well-designed walking route around the farm which makes a nice day out for the kids too.
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