Wholesale organic foods are a hot topic right now. Many stay at home moms want to know where to buy organic foods and organic bulk food. Money is tight, and its hard to justify the sacrifice of good food because it is getting too expensive. Learn my secrets for offline and online organic food store sources.
Eating organic foods, while more expensive in the short term, may actually benefit your family in the long term, on reduced medical expenses. Whereas most of us stay at home moms recognize this fact, and want to feed our families organically, we simply cannot afford it. But there are ways to save on wholesale organic foods.
What is Organic Food?
First, let’s learn some facts. What exactly are organic foods? The term “organic” refers to the process of growing foods.
It means that the foods were not grown with non-organic chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, or pesticides. This term can apply to animals, crops, and even processed foods.
Organic foods are the most healthy foods you can buy. All foods certified organic say so on the products (in the store) and should not be confused with terms like pure, all-natural, whole, or healthy.
The word “conventional” refers to foods raised in the modern method of growth hormones, insecticides, fertilizers, and synthetic chemicals. It is somewhat misleading, as there is nothing conventional about it. Until recently, within our mothers and grandmothers lives, all foods were grown organically, NOT with chemicals.
One of the best ways to save money on health foods is not to purchase foods that are not marked organic. Foods claiming they are pure, whole, all natural, healthy, fat free, whole grain, etc, without the label of organic mean nothing. They are buzz words, designed to make you think you are feeding your family healthy foods, when in fact they are no better than those you buy without such labels, even if purchased in a health foods store.
Don’t believe me? Compare the labels.
The Best Produce to Buy Organic
Probably the most common product purchased organically (and the one many are looking for wholesale organic foods) is produce. If your budget is limited, here are some tips on what foods you should buy organically, and what foods, if needed, you can purchase conventionally.
High Levels of Chemicals & Pesticides
The following produce items have very high levels of chemicals and should always be purchased organically. Where to buy organic foods? Many of these are available in your local grocery store.
| Apples Bell Peppers Celery Cherries | Grapes (imported) Nectarines Peaches Pears | Potatoes Raspberries Spinach Strawberries |
Lowest Levels of Chemicals and Pesticides
If money is tight (and where isn’t money tight these days) then you can feel OK purchasing the following produce items conventionally for your family.
| Asparagus Avocados Bananas Broccoli | Cauliflower Corn Kiwi Mangoes | Onions Papaya Pineapples Peas |
A note on corn: because corn is usually genetically modified, it is probably not a good idea to eat it conventionally no matter how few pesticides it has in it. Since foods are not required to be labeled genetically modified in America, it is hard to determine what foods are and are not created via this method. Google “Genetically Modified Foods” for more information; I’m not going to go into it here.
Wholesale Organic Foods Buying Clubs
The best method to purchase wholesale organic foods is to join a wholesale organic foods buying club.
This is where a group of people, a co-op, orders organic bulk food at the wholesale organic foods rate and then splits the order.
There are several different variations of these co-ops. Some will order from one particular store or company one-two times per year.
I was involved with one that ordered grains and baking supplies from a company in Georgia called Bread Beckers twice per year. I lived in Florida at the time and one of the members would drive to Georgia to pick up the order, and all the members would split the shipping costs.
Other wholesale organic foods co-ops will order organic produce on a weekly, or bi-weekly basis and you’ll get a box of fruits and vegetables. You’ll most likely need to pick it up in person, and will not be able to choose what foods you would like. Instead, the co-op buys a selection of items in season and splits them into shares. Each member pays the same price and gets the same amount of foods.
Another type of wholesale organic foods coops is where someone has set up a local online organic food store. Members purchase produce as well as grains and other organic bulk foods, depending on availability, on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, which is then delivered or the member picks up on a specific day. There is usually a large selection of items, the prices are good, and the member only purchases the items they will use.
I have participated in all three of these types of wholesale organic foods buying groups, and they all have their strengths and weaknesses, but all are worthwhile. You can usually find a group by googling your city name and “organic food coop” or checking out Local Harvest.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA as it’s commonly referred to, is probably the best way to acquire organic foods at a reasonable price in your area.
A CSA is a group of people who each take a financial interest in a particular farm’s crop for the season.
Each member pays a certain amount of money and/or commits to a certain amount of hours work for a share of the harvest, no matter the size.
For example, if there are 20 members of a particular CSA, each member will receive 5% of the harvest, no matter if the harvest is 50 bushels of produce or 100 bushels of produce. The majority of CSAs require money, not time.
Your CSA share will vary, though each CSA has a good estimate of what each member will receive. Unforeseen conditions such as a drought, or exceptional growing conditions will make the shares vary.
Joining a CSA is a great way to eat locally, support your local farmers, experience the growing of the foods you eat (perfect for kids) and eat organically at a decent price. The only drawback to CSAs is that you do not get to choose what produce you want; you simply get a share of all that is produced. Find a buddy to trade items that your family will not eat with, or bless a neighbor.
Find a CSA in Your Area
Other places to buy organic foods? Check out your local farmer’s markets, and, believe it or not, your local Craigslist. Not all food at the farmer’s market is labeled organic, most times because your local producer is not big enough to justify the expense. So ask! Find out how they grow their food. Many meet organic standards.
Money Saving Resources
Use the following resources to help you on your path towards frugal food.
1. More pages on Stay-a-Stay-at-Home-Mom.com:
- Meal Planning
- Grocery Coupon Online Classes
- Cheap Grocery Resources
- Freezer Cooking Tips
- Best Tupperware
- Budget Cooking Ideas
- Menus for Kids
- Start a Food Exchange
- Grow Your Own Vegetable Garden
- Raise Meat Rabbits
- Raise Chickens in Your Backyard
- Buying Organic Foods
- Order Groceries Online
- Frugal Grocery Shopping Tips
- Emergency Food Preparation
- Start a Grocery Price Book
- Printable Grocery Shopping Lists