Lets Go Shopping

2. Let’s Go Shopping

Even those who have a sizeable organic garden must track down and purchase many of the foods they require. When the weather is warm, take along a picnic coder with ice for transferring perishable food. Much damage can result from alternately cooling, warming, and again cooling your produce. It is even
a good idea to carry a cooler when the weather is cold if your car is heated.

Your greatest concern will be produce—good quality fruits and vegetables. It is sometimes possible to locate organically grown produce, but if not, get the freshest, best quality obtainable and you will still come out ahead, as there will be much less waste. Sometimes you can, just by trying and not giving up, locate individuals in your own area who are growing organically for their own use and have some surplus to share. If your local health food store has a bulletin board, you might try to reach these local growers by expressing your interest there in contacting them.

It is not always practical to have fresh produce shipped in from distant cities, but there are some instances when it is advisable to do this. If you live in a climate where the growing season is short, produce can be shipped by air freight from California but the transportation cost may be greater than the cost of the food. If you join with other people and buy in bulk quantities, it might be more economical. Even when buying food locally, you may find that starting a food-buying co-op would be very worthwhile if this enables you to buy direct from a wholesale food distributor in your area.

You can grow some of your own food. I once grew lettuce in a large crate on the porch. You can find some local sources of organically grown food. Locally grown produce, in season, is always the best—fresher, better-tasting because it is not picked prematurely, and more economical. You can at least obtain organically grown nuts and seeds from distant shippers, and sometimes from your local health food store.

For that portion of your food that you cannot obtain organically grown, just get the best quality obtainable, selected, stored and eaten in accordance with Hygienic principles, and, as previously indicated, you may rest assured that your health will be far better than that of those on conventional diets.

Shop around and find the stores or produce departments that do the best job in your area. Get friendly with the produce people and they will cooperate with you in your efforts to locate the best produce, especially when they learn that you do all your major purchasing in the produce section. You might even be able to persuade the owner of a produce business to keep his eyes open for organically grown food from local farmers who come to the wholesale produce markets, or even to locate organically grown produce in distant cities, and have it shipped in to sell at retail. We developed such a source in our area in Florida and enjoyed a plethora of organically grown produce for five years—last year the man retired, and we are still trying to replace him.

In season, shop the transient roadside truck merchants—early in the morning, before the sun has done its wilting job on the produce. You will probably have to shop the supermarkets for some of your produce. Most produce managers will allow you to break open the pre wrapped packages of produce and select the best, especially if you are a good customer. Sometimes, if you ask, they will bring out fresher produce from the refrigerator and allow you to select directly from the crates.

This lesson will continue with information on how to judge and select your produce and other foods. You will not need to be greatly concerned about additives in packaged, frozen or canned foods, because you will not be using these items. If you do buy anything that is packaged, frozen or canned, be sure to read the labels and don’t buy anything that contains chemicals.