3 Less Expensive Ways To Eat Organically

Grow A Garden

One of the most simple, best ways to eat organically is to grow your own food. And this can be easier than it might sound!

Growing your own food doesn't mean you suddenly have to start a small farm or even a large garden. It can simply mean supplementing your current grocery bill with some foods that you grow at home.

This might mean you grow your own herbs on your kitchen countertop. Or it might mean you start a small garden in your backyard. Wherever you start, adding a few fruits and vegetables that you grow yourself will really help you save money at the grocery store.

Keylock Storage wrote about how to start gardening. They said,

Prepare The Plot

Preparation is usually the key for success in any endeavor and gardening is no exception. If you want to know how to garden like a pro  the first step is prepare properly.

Fertilize

The number one reason fertilizing is so important is to add nutrients back into the soil.  Without Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium in the soil plants simply can’t grow properly.   Other benefits of fertilizing including controlling weeds by taking them out in the first place, as well as making the soil more uniform, firm and less likely to puddle or have patches.

Choose the Best Plants In The Best Locations

Once you’ve prepared your plot and fertilized it’s not enough to simply start planting!  If you really want to know how to garden like a pro - make wise planting choices.  What you choose to plant and where to plant it are major factors in the success of any landscaping or gardening.

What will grow well in your yard is dependent upon many factors.  Things like region, climate, weather andsun exposure just to name a few."

If space is your problem, you have no further to look than Keylock Storage's own Gardening In Small Spaces Guide.In it, they said,

"How To Garden In Small Spaces : Countertop Herbs

Countertop herbs are another great tool in how to garden in small spaces.  Especially if you don't have a yard or outdoor space!  Growing herbs in small containers in your kitchen, windowsill or deck is an easy way to garden.  Herbs such as basil, rosemary, sage and most others can be grown in small containers.  

Where you place the herb and how much you water it will depend on the plant.  Good Housekeeping has a great guide for this type of information found here.

Indoor herb gardening can also be highly aesthetic and be a way to incorporate beautiful plants into your home.  They are a great practical way to add to the visual beauty in your living space.

How To Garden In Small Spaces : Container Gardening

Perhaps one of the best answers for small space gardening is container gardening!  If you don't have the ground or space - bring the space to you!  Plant vegetables and other plants in individualized, small to medium containers. Like portable box gardens, this is also a great option for strategically using sunlight.  You can move the planters where the sun is!

Ideal vegetables to plant in containers include: rosemary, onions, lettuce, peppers, carrots, egg plants and cucumbers.  Carefully read the packets your seeds come in to find out how much depth they need and how far apart they need to planted.

Watering container gardening is pretty similar to traditional gardening.  Simply make sure your containers have proper drainage."

Sign Up For Community Supported Agriculture

Another one of the less expensive ways to eat organically is to invest in Community Supported Agriculture. CSA is a US-wide program that connects small local farms directly to the consumer. The consumer purchases "shares" up front with the farm then receives produce throughout the growing season.

Local Harvestdescribed CSA this way:

"This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. In brief:

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm - even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown"

If you can find a local organic farm near you (go HERE to find participating CSA Farms) then purchasing CSA shares is one of the great less expensive way to eat organically.

Shop At Costco

Costco has become the largest organic food seller in the world. Sourcing much of it's organic foods itself from store-owned farms, Costco is providing product for the ever-growing demand for organic foods.

Well and Good explained it this way,

"Whole Foods may win the prize for the most recognizable retailer when it comes to organic food, but the top honor when it comes to market share actually goes to…Costco.

Yup, the chain best known for its bulk stock and low prices reported $4 billion in organic food sales last year—that’s billion with a B. Whole Foods, by comparison, racked up about $3.6 billion in certified organic sales. The chain best known for its bulk stock and low prices sold $4 billion worth of certified organic food last year—that’s billion with a B.

And this shift could have a major impact on you (and your healthy habits), even if you’re not a card-carrying member. For one thing, it’s proof that food shoppers across the board are prioritizing organics. And in other exciting news, it shows that it’s possible to sell certified organic produce (COP) at a competitive price—crucial for closing the healthy food gap.

But perhaps most importantly, the mega-retailer is literally redefining the organics landscape—there are now Costco-owned organic farms to help the company keep up with demand. Plus, the brand is lending money to farmers to expand their output."

Costco saves consumers money by giving them the ability to buy in bulk for a discounted price. And for the price of a costco membership, you can really rack up the savings on organic foods. Costco is the leader in organic food prices. As Well and Good said,

"When you compare prices, organic quinoa at Whole Foods retails for $5.99. At Costco, it’s $2.87. Organic chicken breasts are a dollar cheaper at the discount brand, and a loaf of organic whole wheat bread is about $1.50 less expensive. In other words, the savings are real."

So if you're looking to go organic, look no further than Costco.

Check out the Keylock Storage Blog for more interesting articles about organization and lifestyle: keylockstorage.com/blogs