Organic - Price Prohibitive?

moggins

I decided to try going organic as I was in the counties capital for organic produce yesterday (it has Britains first 100% organic cafe). Toddled along to the market and picked out a lettuce, some rocket, a couple of chilis and some celeriac. It came to nearly £6!!

So I'm sorry but trying to feed 5 people at those prices is just way too much, I just can't see how a normal family could afford it. I'll just have to wait until my 100% organic garden has produced this years crop before I touch organics again.

squeaky

Same problem here. I'd love to support organics but can't afford to. My garden is now mostly shaded out by trees so growing my own isn't an option any more. It's the poverty trap. Once a week I buy one small item from my local estate shop and that's the best I can do. Everything else is budget.

But I am making a point of buying fresh veg and salads and fruit to do my best to keep my diet healthy. As best that bulk crops allow.

Trow

Today we were sorting the order for the wholefood association - it was very interesting, especially the lentils - there were two 3kg bags of lentils, one organic, one not, both from Turkey. The non-organic were a bright orange, the organic *so* much lighter and natural looking - does make me think again about organic produce, something I don't generally use a lot of.

squeaky

If you've ever grown your own carrots, onions, or lettuce (all easy) you'll never ask about the difference again. Never. Promise.

Trow

Without a shadow of a doubt *the* item to home grow is strawberries - shame we don't have a greenhouse any more and I am WAY to far north to get a decent crop without it

squeaky

Rhubarb!!!!

needmoney

I have grown my own lettuce and spring onions and afew broad beans before but not for years now. You have just inspired me to prepare a little plot this year, so THANKYOU.

Caterina

Lettuce, definitely.

Organic lettuce is very expensive and does not last long at all - growing it is very easy and it lasts for months and months, if you do successive sowings. Choose a cos variety, or a little gem if you like it small.

I read in a magazine a question that someone asked: if one buys just ONE organic food, which one should it be? the answer was: for meat eaters, chicken (as the non-organic is so full of chemicals and worse), for veggies: lettuce (same reason).

More easy growing: even the smallest space and the poorest ground can grow radishes, which are quick and their greens very nice in salad when young or eaten cooked as spinach when older.

Does anyone reading this post live in or near London SE15 (Peckham or Camberwell) ? There is a scheme called Green Ventures that provides organic fruit and veg bags at low cost on a sliding scale, if you earn less than £10,000 per year as a family you can get a good shopping bag full of veg (and same of fruit) for £7 each.

If anyone is interested please PM me and I shall give more details.

Caterina

Sarahsaver

https://www.edenfarms.co.uk deliver to nottingham, leicester and loughborough, and are actually the first reasonably priced veg box scheme i have come across.

Magentasue

I have a Riverford Box, prices are from £7.50 I think and it's always very good. Plus you can change your order online. I have an £8.50 or £10.50 box and it's enough for our veggie family of six although I buy extra potatoes.

In supermarkets, I buy organic if the difference is a few pence but it rarely is. Definitely worth growing your own if you have some space. Ooh yes, I count my eggs as organic even though my hens get some non-organic oats etc because their feed is organic even if their scraps aren't. I suppose that means they eat better than we do!

The_Biff

Look out for reduced prices for organic produce in supermarkets. I often find carrots (that are not selling) reduced.
Carrots are the one veg I would recomend if buyting only one organic. The "root" absorbs all the chemical sprays - some are sprayed 10 times.