With everything CSA, I'm trying to keep track of the cost, firmly believing that this food is no more expensive than processed alternatives. But I may be facing some evidence to the contrary with the meat I just bought. Oh, sure, it's true cost is fully reflected in the price rather than hidden in transportation and farm subsidies and environmental degradation, but that reflection felt like a bright glare this morning when I saw 5.38 lbs, $21.52 labeled on my chicken. Yes, a $21 chicken. Don't tell my husband.
I'm waiting, though, because I feel like these prices need a better context. How many meals will they make? Will we eat out less? Will we feel more satisfied with less? I suspect that we'll have roughly 8 meals out of the meat, that's roughly $12 per meal for a family of 4. Considering that I discovered that one of the flank steaks is labeled as a cut of petite fillet (what do I know about cuts of meat?), I guess that's not horrible. But this chicken is no $8 Rocky.
Tonight we had hamburgers, and I will say this, they were most definitely worth it. Worth it especially, because since I knew these animals were not eating by-products of other animals, I felt confident that they could be cooked barely medium-rare. I like my meat bloody.
The texture was better too. Firmer, but not heavy. No gritty mealiness, none. I don't really eat fast food burgers except on road trips in the middle of nowhere, but they were a million miles in terms of texture and flavor from those flat, mealy, gray patties. They also surpassed the grass-fed hamburger of unknown origin I'd been buying at Trader Joe's. And I didn't have to drive to Emeryville.
The flavor, alone was strong and a touch gamey. But on a bun from Grand Bakery with bread and butter pickles, heirloom tomatoes and mayonnaise, they tasted pretty damn good.
Showing posts with label Cost Effectiveness.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cost Effectiveness.. Show all posts
August 17, 2007
July 17, 2007
Cost Effective
While organic foods frequently cost more than their non-organic counterparts, eating a local, sustainable, organic diet can end up costing less.
Along the way, as we integrate more local foods in to our meals, I want to document the costs for all to see. I pulled some old grocery receipts to see what we were spending pre-produce CSA. It turns out that on produce, we were spending roughly $45 a week, give or take a few dollars. That entailed prewashed, packaged salads, garlic and onions and a host of usual suspects: broccoli, spinach, kale, red bell peppers. Those vegetables all might be nutritional powerhouses, but lack of variety is not good for the diet. We also purchased fruit, mostly what was in season, and a standby bunch of bananas.
Now, we get a box of produce each week from Eatwell Farm that costs $24.50. We spend roughly $10 on fruit at the Temescal Farmer's Market each week, and my husband still gets his $1.19 worth of bananas, but I'll wear him down on that one yet. Our weekly total on produce is now $35.69.
That's a savings of almost $10 week on what turns out to be a larger quantity of much higher quality produce. Higher quality because everything comes to us, directly from the farm, at its peak, within a day of being picked. The quantity we now receive - which used to seem prohibitive in terms of cost when I shopped at a certain pricey, natural food chain store - means more of our meals center on vegetables. That creates a savings in terms of other food purchases, of which, I'll maybe someday bore you with the details.
Along the way, as we integrate more local foods in to our meals, I want to document the costs for all to see. I pulled some old grocery receipts to see what we were spending pre-produce CSA. It turns out that on produce, we were spending roughly $45 a week, give or take a few dollars. That entailed prewashed, packaged salads, garlic and onions and a host of usual suspects: broccoli, spinach, kale, red bell peppers. Those vegetables all might be nutritional powerhouses, but lack of variety is not good for the diet. We also purchased fruit, mostly what was in season, and a standby bunch of bananas.
Now, we get a box of produce each week from Eatwell Farm that costs $24.50. We spend roughly $10 on fruit at the Temescal Farmer's Market each week, and my husband still gets his $1.19 worth of bananas, but I'll wear him down on that one yet. Our weekly total on produce is now $35.69.
That's a savings of almost $10 week on what turns out to be a larger quantity of much higher quality produce. Higher quality because everything comes to us, directly from the farm, at its peak, within a day of being picked. The quantity we now receive - which used to seem prohibitive in terms of cost when I shopped at a certain pricey, natural food chain store - means more of our meals center on vegetables. That creates a savings in terms of other food purchases, of which, I'll maybe someday bore you with the details.
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