Fit Mom's Blog

A co-op is a group of individuals who “pool” their money together to buy vegetables at wholesale costs. Vegetables are picked at their peak of ripeness which is then passed from the farmer to the wholesale grocer to us. We are saving time, energy and money by buying locally. Our group has grown from 11 members to over 65 who regularly participate and OH MY! The types and varieties of fruits and veggies that we get now is amazing. Last week, 2 heads of Kale (my old nemesis), gigantic head of Romaine Lettuce, Carrots, Peaches, Nectarines, Cantalope, heirloom Tomatoes, Califlower, Chard, Spinach…More than we can eat in a week! Even better than all that are my kids who are demanding carrots with leaves to eat. We peel them and they get to eat one a day. How cool is that?

1. Supporting local farmers

2. Free of pesticides, chemicals and other nasty things put on fruit/vegetables to get the desired results

3. TASTE. This is my BEST reason to buy organic. Anything that is ripe, fresh and lightly steamed actually tastes good. I was raised on frozen peas, frozen brussel sprouts, vegetable medley out of bags- and it took me years to develop a good taste for vegetables!

If you don’t have a co-op in your town, (found mine via Meetup- just search organic co-op) there are other things you can do. First of all, find the local farmers market and make a point to buy as much as you can from there first, then go to the grocery store second. In my town, I’ve found several local farmers who sell only a few items, but it is WORTH the drive to get whatever is fresh at the moment. Finally, plant your own. This is easy. We have two plots of land that have been “fenced” in with bricks, we have a rabbit nest underneath the soil, and I replant in the same spot every year. We have built in sprinklers so I don’t even have to worry about watering. Can’t grow a tomato to save my life, but I get lots of peppers, eggplants, kale, pumpkins, and cucumbers. Works great. No pesticides or chemicals required.

There are tons of reasons to buy organic vegetables and I’m sure you can name a few not covered here. My point is mainly to seek out the fresh local ingredients to get the best BANG for your buck.

Also, if you’re a good Kale eater, feel free to post a recipe! My best recipe is to JUICE it with a whole pineapple. Makes a fabulous healthy cocktail.