Another thing we do is buy from farmer’s markets. Start saving right now. Farmer’s markets are really cheap (I am able to get produce for cheaper than conventional. MUCH cheaper. Then I freeze some stuff. I plan on doing it in even more stuff this year. We just made the most amazing peach pie from peaches I froze last year.

Anyways, I hope this helps.

Do you or your readers have suggestions for feeding a twosome one of whom is a Celiac (gluten-free) and the other a diabetic living vegetarian?

Using your crockpot to make stews and soups that can be stretched out is a great idea.

In addition to growing your own, have you tried sprouting? I get organic mung beans from EarthFare – two tablespoons of dried beans turn into 1 quart of sprouts in less than a week! No sunlight needed, and you can have fresh organic produce year round.

Get a jar. Put two tablespoons of small seeds or beans (mung beans, lentils, etc.) in the jar. Cover with a piece of cheesecloth or muslin. Use a rubberband, string, or mason jar ring to keep the material in place. Cover the beans with water and soak overnight. Drain the water. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day for 4-5 days. (I stored mine upside down in the dishrack to make sure it drained.) When the sprouts are about twice the size of the original seed, eat. Some people like baby sprouts or more mature sprouts – figure out at one point they are the tastiest to you. (Don’t use kidney beans).

Cut back where you can to free up $ for specialty items. For example, cut back on meat or substitute
Lentils and Rice

That recipe is really good! This week I made one pound of lentils and 3 cups of brown rice; we’ve eaten it in enchiladas and as burgers and I’ve STILL got some leftover that I’m going to freeze. I fed NINE people for three meals -with leftovers – for under $3.

Search out places that carry food you can eat. I buy Annie’s Organics Mac and Cheese at BigLots for 65 cents. They have Wasa crackers, too.

One thing that I try hard to do when cooking organic for my family is to stretch the meal over a couple of days. For example, I love making stews in the winter time (just throw the meat and veggies in the crock pot). I will usually serve it the first night with bread or biscuits for a hearty meal. The next night, I will take the leftovers and serve it over rice. I’m also lazy, so this method works well for me :)

Overall, the cost is not too bad, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy to know that my family is well-fed!

Another good strategy for cheap organic food is buying in bulk. This is easiest if you have a lot of storage space. Amazon can have good deals (we get 48 rolls of 7th Generation toilet paper), go through a wholesale distributor, or directly to the manufacturer (we get 5 gallons of detergent from Ecos).

Distributors may have a minimum order and want to deliver in big increments, think cases of soy milk or 25 lbs of rice. We live in a group house w/ a lot of storage space so this isn’t a problem for us, if it is for you, you might think about doing a buying club with friends and neighbors. You all just have to agree on what to order and how to divide it up. Some buying clubs have operated for decades and have dozens of people participating, you can be as organized about it as you want. It takes some work but wholesale can get costs in half or more.

Finding a distributor can be challenging, talk to your local small organic or health food grocer and ask them who they use. You’ll probably have to call them to get a catalog mailed to you. When you order make sure they can/will deliver to residences, you don’t wank an 18 wheeler showing up at your apartment looking for a loading dock :)

You can also check out localharvest.org to see what markets are in your area.

If it’s possible to pay for it, you could also find a local, organic CSA through there. I’m a member of one and while the initial payout of around $300 seems like a big hit, when you have 18 weeks of fresh veggies from that in the summer, it’s really not that expensive. That way, you know who grew your veggies, you are helping support a local farmer and you get super fresh items.

Also, for some items, you may be able to check out Aldi’s or even a Meijer’s. They seem to do pretty well on organic frozen and canned veggies and other pantry staples. Not all of Meijer’s organic veggies are in their organic section, either, at least for the one near me. I’ve found that some of the veggies that aren’t as common or popular (Swiss chard, some other green, baby bok choy) are organic even when they are in with the rest of the veggies.

And like was mentioned, local farm markets are the best when it’s in season. They are usually much cheaper than groceries and much fresher. Not all places may be certified organic, some are just too small to afford it, but many still grow their veggies and fruits without pesticides and are GMO-free.