Saving on produce is a real challenge for most of us. There are few coupons available and while the weekly sales often include produce, it’s usually a very limited selection. One way that you can really save each week on fresh produce is to purchase yours at the local farmer’s market. This summer I did a trial package for a CSA to see what would be included. Each week was $25 and I had to pre-pay in advance. The trial was for 3 weeks, so it wasn’t a long-term investment. I picked up my basket of produce at a downtown natural food store.
The quality of the produce was really good but I was disappointed in the quantity of the foods we would actually eat. Basically, there was enough to add to one dish each day.
Here’s what I got in my first basket:
The goat cheese was delicious but no one else in my family would eat it.
Week 2:
The next week I got some kale and cabbage……something good to try but not something I would have selected myself. This was a lot of produce that made delicious salads for the week.
We do have our own small garden but it just isn’t doing well this year. Not as well as I would like, anyway. So we definitely have to supplement with fresh produce that I buy each week. So this week we went with my precious sister-in-law & niece to the farmer’s market and decided to see how much I could buy with $20. Here’s what we ended up with for WAY under budget:
Keep in mind that my kids ate 3 apples and some berries when we got home, so we actually had more than this. My burlap bag was completely full!! Here’s what I paid for my haul:
blueberries $3 (heaping quart)
wild blackberries $4
butternut squash $1 each
yellow squash $1 for 4
tomatoes $1.75 (they were $1.50 a pound)
apples $2 for 6 (or you could buy a whole basket for $6)
Total spent: 13.75
I had apples, blueberries, and squash on my grocery list so this saved me a trip to the store as well. My daughter begged for the butternut squash, so I was happy to get that for her (voluntarily eating something other than a hot dog?!) I typically buy organic produce so I try to ask if the produce has been sprayed. Many of the farmers are happy to volunteer this information to you. I suggest once you find someone you trust, continue to buy from that person if you are sure their produce is high-quality. Although this isn’t certified organic, we didn’t pay for that label either.
We saw lots of other goodies that were less expensive than the store……watermelons for $3, grape tomatoes $2/heaping quart, and more. We also saw items that my kids wouldn’t see at the store—homemade soaps, homemade bread samples, jewelry, crafts, preserves, and plants. It was great fun. We saw a few friends and made a few new ones. My son bought a homemade donut (delish!) and my daughter spent her allowance money on homemade fudge, counting out the coins perfectly. Their aunt bought each of them a handmade bracelet which they played with all the way home. Of course this wasn’t the first time we have been to the farmer’s market, but it was the first time that I decided to document our experience.
If you have a farmer’s market nearby, I encourage you to make it an outing this weekend with your family. You might even give your children a little money to spend on produce they would like to try. Whatever you decide, you’re sure to come out ahead while supporting local farmers! If you’ve got your own garden with an abundance of produce, you might even want to make a little extra cash by selling at your farmer’s market. Share your thoughts below, and if you recently made a big bargain at the farmer’s market I’d love to hear about it!
I tried a CSA two years ago, but it was too much for just me. I ended up selling the rest of the season to a friend. My choice is farmer’s markets since I can get just what I’ll eat.