Every now and then, well okay, more than that, I sneak into the grocery store to see what is being charged for meat and veggies. The organic veggies. While I can compare costs from the organic counter to our food and it is interesting…what I can’t do is compare what is in the grocery store to what we and the farmers here grow. Because very little of the veggies and meat in the grocery store are from here. Here is a sample of 10 items of veggies (there was one local grass fed/finished ground beef option at $7/lb). No other local meat that day.

Cucumbers - $3/pound here, $2.99/pound Whole Foods
Broccoli - $2.50/bunch here, $2.69/pound Whole Foods
Leeks - $5/pound here, $5.99/pound Whole Foods
Carrots - $3/pound here, $3/pound Whole Foods
Onions - $3/pound here, $4.99/pound Whole Foods
Summer Squash - $3/pound here, $2.99/pound WF
Strawberries - $5/basket here, $5/basket Whole Foods
Specialty/Baby lettuce - $5/pound here, $8/lb WF

The veggies from our farm are local, completely organic and taste like they were meant to taste. The veggies from the grocery are from many countries; China, Mexico, Argentina and therefore use large amounts of oil to transport, are picked unripe, washed in bleach, sprayed with mineral oil for shine (tomatoes) and gassed with ethylene to unnaturally “ripen” them (anything that needs to ripen more).

Have you purchased an heirloom tomato from the store and compared the flavor to one of the tomatoes we have put in your box, heirloom or otherwise? It is shockingly different to me and I am biased, I admit that. Clearly we are in the business to provide real healthy food at a price to be sustainable. It actually costs less in the long run for you to shop locally. Your health, your environment, your families understanding and accountability for their food. We thank you for that and hope to see you carving pumpkins at Pumpkins on Pikes this year!