August 2008 - Changing Your Grocery Shopping Habits

How do you value food? What are your priorities when deciding what to buy? Is "more bang for your buck" important? What about nutritional value? How about the "freshness factor?" Do you look for food items that specifically contain (or don't contain) certain ingredients? For instance, do you read labels to avoid products with trans fats, MSG or artificial flavorings? Is organic food a priority for your family? Or do you shop for taste and preference?

With the ripple effect from high fuel costs making its way through the food chain, and costs increasing on most foods, especially processed foods, perhaps the time is NOW for changing our shopping habits when planning to feed our families. There are several ways to obtain fresher-than-fresh, nutritionally-superior food at a lower cost than from the supermarkets.

If you don't already, start a family garden. It's not too late to put in a fall garden full of greens, radishes, spinach, bok choy (Chinese cabbage) and more. Plan for next spring and work up soil this fall to ready for next year's growing season. Many local people are putting gardens to bed already - once the beans, tomatoes and sweet corn are harvested and put up, gardening season is over. Did you know that most years you can continue your garden into November and without any heroic measures? Want to know more? Visit your local farmers' market and talk with the growers to find out how they do it.

If you can't garden, get to know your neighbor up the road who does. Many gardeners end up with excess produce, and would appreciate making sales "over the backyard fence." Don't have extra cash? Try bartering -- you may be pleasantly surprised and find that a grower will happily swap a week's worth of fresh veggies for a few rows of weeding, picking or weedeating. Establish a relationship and let them know your family's needs.

Neighbors too far away or don't garden? At your local farmers' market, vendors will be delighted to converse and help you meet your needs. Often they can tell you when short-season items (i.e., blueberries, strawberries, etc.) will be available. Many growers are happy to take advance orders to hold for you to pick up at the market.

Do you desire organically-grown food and are disappointed with the slim pickings or high prices at the supermarket? Most local growers at farmers' markets are not organically certified, but grow without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Others take it further by utilizing organic methods and sowing certified organic seed. Again, talk with growers, establish a mutually beneficial relationship, and let your needs be known to develop a win-win situation.

Looking for bulk produce to can or freeze? Don't go out of state or region -- keep it local! That relationship you've begun with farmers' market vendors can make it happen. If you want four bushels of half-runner beans to can or freeze each year, tell the growers. If Oxheart tomatoes are the only kind you use for making sauce or juice, tell them. Why travel out of state to buy conventional produce cheaply yet waste the money saved on fuel? Get it fresh - get it at your local farmers' market.

Need a place to start it all? Come to Calhoun County Farmers' Market Saturday, August 30, at the Upper West Fork Park in Chloe. The Market will host the first annual FRESHtival! celebrating the benefits of fresh, local food. The day-long event will include demonstrations, displays, activities for children, just-picked produce and value-added products from local farms, live music, local crafts and more. For more information, call Tracy at 286-2905.