Local Produce Etc Through Our Rural Resourses

[Roda]

I learned today that I can order locally grown produce and other products through our local Rural Resourses mobile Farm Market. It's pretty cool. They offer baskets that have a varity of in season fruits/veggies, eggs, meats etc. Alot of the farms are self sustainable and organic farms and some with free range beef, chickens, lamb, etc. They have a family basket that I ordered which was $25.00 for a 1/2 bushel of a varity of things. I told them we had "alergies" to wheat, barly, rye and oats so they wouldn't send special things in the basket with any of these things, just the fruit/veggies, eggs and free range meats if they include it (I felt it would be too difficult to expain celiac). I can spend that much or more at the local grocery a week on that stuff. This way I am helping support our local farmers and they will deliver to my door! I don't know if other areas do this or not but worth checking into. I used to go to the local farm market, but I haven't been able to make it because of my work schedule. Now I don't have to worry.

[love2travel]

That's awesome! Good for you for supporting the local farmers. We have nothing like that here but thankfully do have a tiny farmer's market for a few months each year. I tend to grow my own herbs and veg (and most fruits cannot survive our winters) and eggs/meats are supplied by local certified organic growers. There's nothing as great as fresh and local produce! You know the 100 mile diet? Well, in the area where our house is located in Croatia, it is the 10 mile diet including fabulous things from the sea - it is that local. Amazing.

[Roda]

I try to grow a few things every season. Last year I had a bumper crop of tomatoes and was able to can some. I do select herbs in containers and plant just enough cucumbers and green beans to eat. I've also got colored bell pepper plants. I planted zucchini in a bag of garden soil (they look great) and did spinich and leaf lettuce the same way. The spinich is done but the lettuce is still going strong. Some of my garden stuff doesn't seem as nice this year so I wanted something extra.

[lizard00]

I work with a local CSA that offers fresh, local organic produce, and sustainable meat. I LOVE it! And the produce is soo much better than anything you can get in the store. Seems like things like this are cropping up everywhere. I'm glad, it's so much better all around when you shop and eat local. AND I don't have to do a bunch of grocery shopping, which I have to say doesn't bother me at all!

[Jestgar]

Nice. My CSA has a local store. You just go in, collect what you want, weigh it, tally the cost, and put a -'that much' next to your name on the sheet.

[domesticactivist]

We buy from farm stands in the summer. Other times of the year we buy direct from several farmers, sometimes through our buying club. Buying clubs are really cool - members arrange buys with local farmers and then people in the club sign up for how much of it they want. The drop is handled by the person who set it up. We also have an Azure Standard and Hummingbird drop through the buying club. We get our raw milk by being in on a cow share. I feel very fortunate to live in a region where we have a long growing season and lots of local, organic farmers! (Pacific NW)