Tips for buying organic food

Buy in bulk.

Whether you're shopping at a natural foods store, supermarket or co-op, buying in bulk is a great way to stretch your food dollar. For beans, grains, lentils and nuts, head straight for the bulk containers. Just make sure you have a cool, dry place in your kitchen to store your dry goods for a few months. You can save on storage space by splitting your stash with a friend. Be sure to bring your calculator along on any bulk shopping run. Not every item you can buy in bulk is worth the bother. Do the math. 

Buy big in-season.

The absolute best time to buy an organic fruit or vegetable is at the peak of its growing season. As the season progresses there's more produce and the price has a tendency to shift downward, sometimes dramatically. That's the best time to buy. And that's the best time to buy big. Load up on all your favorite organic fruits and veggies at dirt-cheap prices.

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Where to find organic food?

Today, it is very easy to buy organic products! For a long time most consumers were had to go to organic markets and to specialty stores to buy their organic supplies, but now all that has changed. Since 1999, an increasing number of retail outlets provide organic products. These outlets are listed under six categories. 

Farmers' markets

Farmers' markets are great sources of fresh local produce. A just-picked tomato from a local farm tastes better than a tomato that's traveled thousands of miles before reaching a supermarket shelf. It's going to be cheaper and fresher at a farmers' market. If you don't see a sign saying the produce is organic, be sure to ask. Some farmers may be making the transition to organic farming. The key to landing good deals at farmers' markets is to ask lots of questions. Ask about discounts for buying in bulk. Ask how you can buy their produce when the market is closed. Always ask what tastes the best. They know. They'll tell you. 

Retail stores 

Initially, only "natural and organic food" and "cooperatives" specialized in organic food. Even though bakers are currently supplying organic breads with in creasing frequency, traditional retailers such as fruit and vegetable stores, delis or butchers still do not provide consumers with many organic products. 

Supermarkets and box stores 

Since the end of the 1990s, organic foods have been available in most chain supermarkets and box stores. While the supply of these items has been limited until now, their numbers are rapidly increasing, with large-scale distribution outlets accounting for about half of organic products available. 

Specialized markets 

Shoppers may also fill up their organic food baskets at city public markets or even from vendors who sell products brought in directly from the farm. 

Farms participating in community agricultural support projects 

Community agriculture support projects create a direct link between consumers and organic farms. In exchange for an advance purchase of shares in the harvest, consumers can get a basket of vegetables or other products delivered regularly to a drop-off point in their neighborhood. 

Internet 

On-line specialty sites are also currently increasing, thanks to the appearance of specialty sites at a particularly rapid pace. The sites however tend to sell a limited selection of goods with relatively long shelf lives.

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