HEALTH: Naturally Frugal: Buying Organic Without Busting Your Budget (RECIPES, GARDEN)

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Naturally Frugal: Buying Organic Without Busting Your Budget

By Lynn Welch

The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin), January 21, 2006

From: http://www.madison.com/tct/business/index.php?ntid=69751 & ntpid=0

For the frugal, or those who aspire to frugality, the seminar title was

more than compelling.

Organic Eating on a Dime.

How small are those portions, I wondered.

More and more, people choose organic foods for a variety of reasons.

None of them involve the cost. In fact, price has been cited as a

barrier for low-income earners who would buy organic goods.

Buy organic peppers to avoid pesticides. Buy them directly from the farm

when they are in season to significally reduce the price you pay. The

topic is hot. Consumer Reports this month published a story on its

investigation targeting which organic items you should buy and which are

OK to skip. On the buy list: fruits and vegetables including apples,

peppers, celery, cherries, spinach and strawberries. Also, meat,

poultry, eggs and dairy. Skip cosmetics and seafood.

See the full report at www.consumerreports.org.

To learn more, I joined the capacity crowd for the seminar at the Willy

Street Co-op this week to find out how to buy organic food on a budget.

Like Ekola of Madison, I can do a better job cutting food

costs. " I shop here a lot, but I think our food costs are pretty high, "

Ekola said. " I thought I could use some help on how to better shop. "

Author and sustainable living advocate Kivirist presented not 10,

but 12 ideas to help get the most out of your organic food dollar. She

developed these practical tips over the last 10 years, after she and her

husband chucked it all and moved from Chicago to a rural Green County

farm. The couple's income dropped by more than half. But, they sought

ways to provide organic food for themselves, their son and guests at

their Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast near Monroe.

How do they do it?

" It's not a matter of paying less, but paying better, " she said, noting

that frugality is key, not cheapness.

Some of these tips are wise, no matter what kind of groceries you choose

to buy. Eat at home more, at restaurants less. Use a meal plan rather

than flying by the seat of your pants daily. Stock up and buy in bulk

when possible.

Other ideas require more creativity.

By building your meals around lower-cost items, or eating low on the

food chain, you can really save. Use more grains and beans and less

high-cost foods like meat and cheese.

For must-have commodities that will always cost more - think coffee and

chocolate - look for ways to buy in bulk. Check producer Web sites or

factory outlets to buy direct in addition to stores to get the best

value. Speaking of bulk buying, Kivirist advises buying a year's worth

of some things you use often and storing them in air-tight containers.

It can keep costs in line with conventional groceries.

Some grocers, like Willy Street, will allow customers to order bulk

items, like a 50-pound bag of flour for $26. If a bulk purchase is too

much for your family, consider splitting it, and the cost, with someone.

Buying and cooking with the seasons is a cornerstone for frugal, organic

living, Kivirist explained. By buying and using produce when it's

available, and cheap, you can realize substantial cost savings.

She also recommended growing something, even if it's just herbs and a

couple tomato plants in containers. Great seasonal produce also can be

had at a variety of farmers' markets and by joining a community

supported agriculture farm.

Seasonal buying, or growing, means managing bulk zucchini and tomato

harvests, among others. Here's where a chest freezer in your basement

can help preserve those cheap, good eats for leaner winter months.

It's all about self sufficiency.

Creating a self sufficient pantry can cut costs, too. It can also create

organic options. Make certain foods instead of buying prepared items and

use substitutes for higher-priced goods you favor.

Kivirist makes her own sweetened condensed milk using organic powdered

milk, sugar and butter or margarine. She substitutes a cocoa oil combo

for chocolate chips. She also saves by making her own pita chips from

homemade pita bread, to dip in humus made in her kitchen. Information on

substituting and recipes for convenience items abounds online.

Like Consumer Reports' investigation, Kivirist also advised prioritizing

purchases. Save your organic dollars for the freshest foods. For things

that you don't use that much or for refined foods, buy the less

expensive conventional product.

There are all sorts of ways to prioritize.

" This can't be isolated, " she said of organic food choices and frugal

living. To stretch their budget, Kivirist's family switched to compact

fluorescent bulbs over time. Most recently, they converted a vehicle to

run on biodiesel fuel obtained from their local fish fry.

As demand for organic food grows and more producers jump into the fray, the

USDA has predicted that supply could begin growing to keep up or exceed

demand and bring down prices. The May 2005 report said that would likely

lead to affordability and a further increase in demand.

In the meantime, organic buyers pay more at the store. Factors like

health, nutrition, and support for the environment and small, local

farmers outweigh the added costs, which average 50 percent more

according to Consumer Reports.

To cut costs, the publication recommends comparison shopping the organic

sections of a number of stores, joining a community supported

agriculture farm, and ordering by mail. It also recommends buying

locally produced goods, citing a 2002 U.S. Department of Agriculture

study that found 40 percent of those farmers don't charge a premium.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/organic/natfrugal012306.cfm

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