More About Food

Making the commitment to purchase locally grown organic produce can be expensive. Let's face it buying a box of cereal costs 3.00-4.00 dollars. (I'm just guessing, I haven't bought cereal in over a year.) Convenience foods are usually cheap. I could easily feed my family breakfast with a couple of boxes of cereal per week. But I feel the benefit my children receive from eating a healthy breakfast every morning is well worth the extra money. Here's an example of pricing:

• 1 dozen local free-range eggs- 2.50-3.00 (depending on the farm)

We usually go through 4 dozen eggs per week. My boys eat eggs every morning for breakfast along with fresh fruit, oatmeal, toast, etc. Chris takes 2 boiled eggs for a snack almost daily. Sometimes we have boiled eggs at lunch. I also use several eggs per week for baking.

• 1 gallon local raw milk-4.00-6.00 (depending on farm)

Milk can be expensive even in the store for regular non-organic milk, so this price is not too off base, but we drink about 18 gallons per month. Milk and water are about all Chris drinks. So milk can run 72.00-90.00 monthly.

• 1 bag of organic apples from local grocer-5.00

Fruit and veggies in the grocery store tend to be quite a bit more expensive than conventionally grown. I sometimes use the dirty dozen list when purchasing fruits and veggies.

• 1 free-range organic chicken from local farm-10.00

The chickens are sold buy weight so I paid between 9.00 and 10.00 per chicken. I do feel this is way to expensive, but then I look at and smell a chicken house and I can't purchase the chickens from the store.

• 1 grass-fed calf 2.16 per pound.

We just purchased a grass-fed calf from my husbands uncle. We had to buy a freezer last year because we ended up with about 300 pounds of meat. This calf, two deer, and 40 chickens last us one year. We eat meat with almost every meal.

• Joining a CSA cost about 380.00 for a bag of fresh veggies delivered weekly May through Nov.

I may re-think this next year. With the drought we had here in the southeast, I don't feel like I received my monies worth. I may use that money for the farmer's market to supplement what I grow in the garden.

• 1 quart local raw honey 9.00, 16oz. maple syrup 10.00, 1- 2lb bag sucanant 5.00

Natural sweeteners are one of the most expensive things for me. Granulated sugar is so cheap. I still use a lot of sweeteners when I bake, on pancakes and oatmeal, etc.

So, as you can see purchasing healthier products can be more expensive. I am still looking for ways to save money. I would love any tips! If at any time Chris thought we couldn't afford this anymore I would make some major adjustments. He is very supportive of the way I have chosen to feed our family.