Farm fresh fruit & veg

trippy

Hi,

Probably not a money saving matter as I expect it'll mean spending more money, but we've decided that we're going to try and buy some of our produce direct from farms.

Has anyone tried any of the organic fruit & veg websites that deliver boxes to your home? We are also interested in buying other produce like meat and eggs etc.

Any recommendations would be great. (Sorry if this is on the wrong thread)
Thanks.

moggins

I've never tried the websites but we have 3 very good farm shops near to us and you can make a good saving if you stick to buying what is in season.

Do you have a farmers market at all? It's not always convenient for me to get into town on the days they hold them but when I have everyone I've asked has been happy to give me a business card to sell directly to me.

flea72

i have an organic fruit and veg box delivered every week, and can honestly say you will not make any monetary savings (expect to pay about £10 for enough for 2 people for a week) - and also the quality can be a bit hit and miss too - bugs are commonplace (spiders love to nest in broccoli) and the skin on some fruit, can be a bit marked and pitted

but organic fruit and veg, is more about envirnmental/health issues than having a pretty looking granny smith, or saving money

Bordera

I switched to an organic fruit & veg box delivery service last year and love it. I find it works out cheaper than organic stuff from the supermarket and makes me vary the diet a bit more than I did when I was trolley pushing. If you have one near you I wholeheartedly recommend you give it a try.

This site might help http://www.gooshing.co.uk/food_drink/ Thre are some farm shops addresses in it.

VeryTrying_2

Years ago I started buying fruit and veg from farm shops. Then the penny dropped and I asked myself - where's the farm round here growing BANANAS? - whereabouts is the ORANGE farm? - who has tomatoes ready in February, even in a heated glasshouse?

All that grows round here are potatoes, sprouts and onions, but that didn't stop the farm shops selling every fruit and veg you could think of.

It seemed a bit of a con to me - and that was long before they invented "organic", another great opportunity for a rip-off.

crankup

You have a point VT. We have 2 farmers markets running near me in Dorchester. 1 is quite large, the other is smaller cos they only allow actual farmers to sell there - no "stockists only". The quality of the goods is excellent though and kicks the local supermarkets prices big time.

JayneH_3

It's a great idea, but what am I going to do with the celeriac that came this week???

flea72

treat it just like a potato - so mashed, boiled or roast

georob

HI
i live in northumberland and have just had delivered (and already eaten the chops) half a lamb that was traditionally kept on a local farm was well butchered and kept to mature(hung).tasted absolutly fantastic cost was under £50
as the 1/2 lamb suggests u get chops shoulder legs etc etc fantastic value but even better the taste mmmmmmmmmmmm
far better than quick killed supermarket stuff and cheaper
wanna save money and support your local suppliers buy direct from a farm
most will deliver direct to you any where in country
do yourself a favour buy direct..........................
........end of rant..........!!!!
georob

ps if u want the farmers number leave post here cheers

WeirdoMagnet

georob wrote:

HI
i live in northumberland and have just had delivered (and already eaten the chops) half a lamb that was traditionally kept on a local farm was well butchered and kept to mature(hung).tasted absolutly fantastic cost was under £50
as the 1/2 lamb suggests u get chops shoulder legs etc etc fantastic value but even better the taste mmmmmmmmmmmm
far better than quick killed supermarket stuff and cheaper
wanna save money and support your local suppliers buy direct from a farm
most will deliver direct to you any where in country
do yourself a favour buy direct..........................
........end of rant..........!!!!
georob

ps if u want the farmers number leave post here cheers

Mmmmm - is it a farmer/butcher over Alnwick way Georob? My OHs parents used to get their meat from a chap in the hills, but I thought he was closed down because of all the daft rules these days?

biblejohn

Farm shops are like any other shop. As people said, it doesnt mean that they have just grown the stuff and selling it. Most farm shops just buy their stuff in bulk the same as supermarkets do.

I go to auctions which sell farm produce and you can buy a whole tray of cauliflours or brocolli for £1 a tray. Apples, oranges etc... also sold by the tray load. Big sack of potatoes for £1.50 when tescos just wash em and stick a few in a bag & sell for twice the money.