Use your LOAF at the shops (Local, Organic, Animal-Friendly and Fair Trade)

When food shopping, try to adopt the LOAF principle – that’s local, organic, animal-friendly, fair-traded. For more information, go to www.Christian-ecology.org.uk/loaf

Hellmann’s – It’s Time for Real from CRUSH on Vimeo.

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anniep
taunton, GB , 30 Aug 2005

this is one of my pet topics so will hold back on doing huge comment, but i would encourage everyone here to give this one some serious thought.

I love: Traidcraft and Goodness Direct (for gifts and dry foods) and i order from both of these once a month.

I love: farm shop, local food delivery service, local craft fairs, etc.

Not going to supermarkets on the whole, tho probably pop into Co-op a handful of times a year, to get a few things.
Wendy
Milton Keynes, GB , 01 Oct 2005

This is somthing I really need to work on – have stated buying our veg from a box scheme which is organic – but they didn’t answer my question about whether their bananas were fairly traded – and we’ve just had a shock when tallying up how much we spend in tescos per month – for a family of five – really want to address this and find a better shop than tescos to buy the basics!!
Karin
Godalming, GB , 02 Oct 2005

I have been buying as many Fairtrade products as I could over the last few years, and also tended to buy Free Range eggs and chickens, but being part of the YoLG project has encouraged me to think more about the merits of buying local and organic produce.

In recent months I’ve started to visit the local farm shop and the monthly Farmers’ Market much more regularly than I did. We’ve now started to get a weekly organic box of fruit and veg deilivered. They only deliver what is in season, so nothing should have travelled unreasonable numbers of air miles, and if it comes from Britain or Europe it shouldn’t have been unfairly traded.
Skydog
04 Oct 2005

We use a local box scheme. The good thing is that it makes sure we eat more fruit & veg. The cost for us is £6:00 each for the boxes, and £1:50 delivery. £13:50 in all. Another good thing is that we get fruit and veg which we wouldn’t normally buy (Black Kale, corn on the cob, that sort of thing). So, our tastes are being widened, and our cooking better & more varied. Thanks to the net for being a treasure trove for recipes.
Simon Court
06 Oct 2005

We’ve been working on this one for a while trying to get away from supermarkets using Traidcraft, a farmers market and the local greengrocer but dairy products are a problem.

Any ideas about sourcing “industrial” quantities of organic milk for our hollow legged teenagers?

The local milkman could help us out, but at a price. 64p per pint would make bankruptcy a distinct possibility. :-)
mart&jules
07 Oct 2005

B No longer go to supermarkets, pretty well always shop locally – can do this because we can afford it and Mill Road is 50 yards away, packed with international shops.
Frangellica
07 Oct 2005

We buy organic vegetables, order and pay online, from www.riverford.co.uk – seem much better value than the supermarket and the food is really fresh – picked in Devon on a Wednesday and delivered to us on a Thursday.

Alas, there is nowhere round here locally that does organics.

Meat and fish are also a problem – we can buy frozen organic meat online, but I am not a fan of anything prefrozen. Does anyone know if there’s anywhere you can order fresh meat and fish online? Or in the Dorking area of Surrey? If so, do let me know!

Our first priority is to shop Fair Trade and second is organic/ecofriendly. We do quite a lot of our shopping at Waitrose who have the best range of organics, Fair Trade and Ecover products.
Karin
Godalming, GB , 07 Oct 2005

Check out Abel & Cole. They deliver meat and fish to this part of Surrey and you can order online. If you type in your postcode their website will soon tell you if they will deliver to you.
Dot
Chester, GB , 14 Oct 2005

am about to join up to the organicfair to get fruit and veg boxes. Will have to see how it goes as my kids are quite fussy and I am often away due to work and stuff
rachelandrew
Maidenhead, GB , 14 Oct 2005

We just purchased a meat box from Sheepdrove Organic Farm – www.sheepdroveshop.com – they deliver country-wide and the meat arrived well packed and cool and is absolutely delicious. They seem to do all of the different cuts as well which is briliant as it is often difficult to get specific things for a recipe.
nickthevic
Haverfordwest, GB , 18 Oct 2005

This is something we are trying to do, and we are learning more about what to buy and where. The trouble is, the shopping bill is so much more expensive. I try to get to the fortnightly Farmers’ Market, and buy as much of our meat, fruit & veg, and dairy products, but we have discovered that is doubles our budget for these things, and also that some of the products go off very quickly! We still tend to shop a lot at Tescos, or Morrisons, as it is difficult to do our main weekly shop anywhere else in this area, but we do try to by organic fairtrade products as much as we can, and we are now consciously making the effort to look at the country of origin and buy British if at all possible. Have discovered the local health and organic shop, and use that quite a bit. Would like to find more places to by local, organic food though.
Karin
Godalming, GB , 18 Oct 2005

A lot of fresh products don’t stay fresh for more than a few days, but milk and some vegetables can be frozen. The Abel and Cole website gives advice on storage. We’ve started getting an organic veg box delivered by them as they tend to stick to local seasonal produce with a few exceptions such as bananas (these are shipped, not sent by air frieght) and they swap fruit and veg in the box that you really don’t like for things you do like.

As far as the extra cost of organic,local produce is concerned, I’ve found this is at least partly offset by visiting supermarkets less and so not being tempted to buy all sorts of things we don’t really need, although I do make sure we have treats from time to time even if they aren’t ethical, so the family doesn’t feel too deprived. We eat less meat, as I try to buy more organic meat, but I’m flexible about it.

I also have learnt to think of certain things as undesirable because of unethical practices so again, I’m tempted less and so I could be spending less than before and don’t seem to be spending more overall.
the Mosses
25 Oct 2005

We try to go to the local farmers’ market on a Saturday for meat & cheeses. We have an organic box of fruit & veg. from Abel & Cole every week.We have a very good organic meat shop in Bath, & at least two shops that sell Ecover products & refills for them.
MikeAtkinson
AF , 29 Oct 2005

Did you know Dairy Crest Milkmen will deliver organic veg boxes ?
bek
Sheffield, GB , 30 Oct 2005

we shop locally ( we live in the town centre) we have an organic fruit and vig box delivered and we have a great organic shop in town. we buy from traid craft, people tree, lush and oxfam.
markandnick
31 Oct 2005

Finding it easy (but expensive) to do the organic and fair-trade bit. Shopping locally is not something that we have explored yet. Tried an organic fruit box from a local supplier but couldn’t get what we wanted.
bathjen
Bath, GB , 04 Nov 2005

We have an organic veg. box from a local supplier (JP Organics) and buy either organic or free range meat from local shops and Saturday farmers’ market. Also buy game packs from the market (venison, pheasant, rabbit & pigeon) which is very reasonable and makes excellent casseroles. Doing main grocery shop at the Co-op, including fairly traded tea, Divine chocolate, bananas etc., also buy Traidcraft foods. We’ve been using Ecover products, but for some items are now trying BioD which have been recommended and are made in UK (www.biodegradable.biz).
Simon Court
25 Nov 2005

Still working on this, with increased urgency since reading Joanna Blythman’s book “Shopped”. Also found an organic delivery service, Sesame Organics, who deliver in Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire.
caro
29 Nov 2005

I’ve been buying organic fruit and veg from everybodyorganic.com once a fortnight, have yet to source local organic meat. I have decided to reduce the meat I eat – not ready to go veggie yet but who knows…

I am also rediscovering my cookbooks with good veggie recipes so that I can have a box each week, not waste stuff and eat less meat!

It has also just dawned on me that I can make homemade delicious soup and use a flask instead of buying cuppa soups!
darrengoddard
29 Nov 2005

we’ve just started to order once a week from abel & cole – organic fruit and veg plus dairy products and even other stuff like cleaning products. easy to use website and free delivery.

very impressed. anyone else tried them?

darren
darrengoddard
29 Nov 2005

we’ve just started to order once a week from abel & cole – organic fruit and veg plus dairy products and even other stuff like cleaning products. easy to use website and free delivery.

very impressed. anyone else tried them?

darren
darrengoddard
29 Nov 2005

we’ve just started to order once a week from abel & cole – organic fruit and veg plus dairy products and even other stuff like cleaning products. easy to use website and free delivery.

very impressed. anyone else tried them?

darren
Jeff & Dith
06 Dec 2005

We tried Abel & cole but found that we had better value for money from Riverford at riverford.co.uk. The box is bigger and you get more variety. However you do get the problem that the boxes are ready chosen and you don’t get to exclude things you may not like – such as cabbage UGH!!!!
aiddy
06 Dec 2005

Another Abel & Cole vote from someone who hasn’t tried riverford. If you have kids at school, or are connected to a school some other way, take a look at “The Farmers Choice” from Abel & Cole (tinyurl.com/84w63) as it raises money for the school too.
christina
AF , 12 Dec 2005

Try to by organic vegrtables every week with the local box scheme and also shop at the local farmers market,bought my christmas pudding there this year
kath
12 Dec 2005

committed to buyinglocal organic meat- just found turkeys! Costs more but worth it since our children are definatly carnivores!
nocton4
21 Dec 2005

We use a local organic fruit and veg scheme from Woodlands Farm .. we made a commitment 4 years ago now that we would only buy fairtrade tea & coffee, which is how it all started for us really, from there we began to question more and more of the contents of our shopping trolley .. and we keep questioning and trying to make sure we use as much fairtrade products as possible including clothing and that we continue to talk to our children about these issues and encourage them from an early age.
turbo
22 Dec 2005

Whilst we have increased our purchases of organic meat from a local farm and had consideration for Fair Trade during a year in which the emphasis has been on making poverty history, it is only in the past few days, following some hard-hitting television re Christmas Lunch that we have decided that we should aim for ALL our meat to come from our local source. In addition, over the past few months, we have benefitted from the freshness, taste, seasonality and variety of the contents of a fortnightly veg. box from nearby Cambs.
Menno
02 Jan 2006

Have begun to think more about air miles- won’t buy grapes this winter- to the dismay of my family! We have a weekly farmer’s market, but we have not car so it is a 20 minute walk there and back. The return trip causes a lot of excertion on my part with everything on my back. (Good for the body, I guess).

Our community makes a trip every 14 days or so to Tesco- 3 families + to a mini-van.

I wish that one could buy the staples (flour etc) in larger quantities here in this country. In Canada we can buy flour in 10 Kilo bags.

Daughters are now staunch vegetarians, so spouse and I are eating mostly veggie too. I have decided to buy organic meat when we do eat meat.
Phil Creighton
03 Jan 2006

I’ve slipped a little over the past few months in buying fair trade: time to resolve to do better! Especially with meat – pay more, eat less, eat less rubbish in the process. Happier belly!
Liz Grimshaw
09 Jan 2006

I have stopped shopping in the local supermarket (Tesco) except for the few things I can’t buy elsewhere, like soda stream refills. We are fortunate to have a delicatessen in St David’s which supplies a delicious range of foods including hoummus, brown basmati rice, fair trade tea & coffee, Pataks curry pastes, local free range organic eggs etc etc. It is expensive, which helps to stop me shopping carelessly.

I recently read a very helpful book by Rob Parsons entitled “The Money Secret”. Primarily aimed at people who are in debt, it is quick, easy to follow and a good read. I thoroughly recommend it to everyone. For the first time in my life someone has told me what th average family spends per year on clothes, food etc. Vey helpful, and very sobering for someone like me who has always struggled with budgeting.
Saga
london, GB , 15 Jan 2006

Menno, why don’t you buy a shopping trolley, like old ladies often pull. I’ve got one (I was 27 when I brought it). It makes shopping in the market so much easier, and carrying it the 20 minutes walk to your home would be a doddle.
jayne
16 Jan 2006

Just signed up to get an organic vegetable box (and fruit, eggs, and wholemeal bread) delivered once a fortnight. This is with www.helensbayorganicgardens.com A good cantact for any Belfast-ish located people.
MikeAtkinson
AF , 04 Feb 2006

www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/farmingtoday/index.shtml

Check out this site. There is a focus on eating in season food this year. 2 families are being followed. Farming Today and the Food Programme ( both radio 4) are working on this together. Some interesting debate going on.
Robin and Lorraine Pointon
14 Feb 2006

After Greenbelt 2005 was inspired to finally sort the veg box thing, did it in September. Was a bit concerned about fussy kids(!) and waste of stuff as the local one I found had a set box and no choice. It has worked out O.K – the kids soon got over the shock of dirty carrots and have even become a little more adventurous, 2 out of 3 now eat cabbage! Waste has ocassionally been an issue though, try as I might even we can’t consume a whole large cabbage every week! So I’m about to switch to a local delivery scheme where I can order via email what I want but not all of their stuff is local, they focus on the organic and so some produce comes from Spain, etc. Is it always a trade off? Am still working on completely ditching the supermarket, any tips?
Lucrezia
Reading, GB , 19 Feb 2006

Anyone in the Reading area this might be a good one: www.truefood.coop/truefood.html A friend recommended it to me so am going to give it a try. Since I started reading where all my organic veg @ Tescos comes from have realised that it’s all travelling miles, as highlighted by someone else on here. So as three of them are wihtin walking distance of my home no excuse not to try!!
Susan Deane
02 Mar 2006

I tried the organic veg box scheme from a local farm but to tell the truth, the family and I really arent big veg eaters. So I am going to grow my own veg (veg that we all like and will eat!) once I have got my new garden turned over into a veg patch! Does anyone else find it difficult trying to do local organic and fairtrade in the middle of a city? Farmers markets are robably the way forward for me. As well as goodness-direct!
Ruth&Tom
06 Mar 2006

Recently moved to smaller, rural town & am now within walking distance of Farmers market, butchers, bakers & local organic/fairtrade/wholefood shop – there’s no excuse not to give this one a try! Hardest thing seems to be breaking the long established habit of a weekly supermarket shop.
sissalice
17 Mar 2006

We shop the weekly farmers markets during the season. Some of our markets run into December! We don our backpacks and purposely park at least a mile away from our favorite market. this gives us a chance to walk and we avoid any crowds. We frequent the co-op in our neighborhood often. It’s about a 20 walk from our place. We love chocolate and now only buy organic fair trade varieties. Costs more but then we eat less and appreciate it more. We also buy only organic, fair trade, shade grown coffee. We are also lucky to have access to manufacturer and store coupons in our area for some of our favorite natural products. We utilize the bulk section of most stores. Grains, beans, lentils, peanut butter, soy sauce, herbs and spices, even vinegars, oils, honey and shampoo can be bottled up in containers we bring from home.

Menu planning has been a big help to our shopping list and to our budget. We roughly sketch out the meals we would like that week based on what we already have in stock. We have started the custom of setting aside one day to cook ahead meals for dinners and lunches. With two of us chopping and mixing, etc. it goes fast and we fill our freezer with home cooking – not processed junk.

If we go out to eat we never think of choosing e a chain franchise. In Seattle, there is no need. We are surrounded by delicious food from all over the world.

In reagard to non-food purchases, we also avoid the big chain hardware stores and have given up on Wal-Mart years ago and just recently quit Target cold turkey.
Zac FT
22 Mar 2006

My mother buys as much organic food as she can, mainly veg canned stuff, pasta, yogurts. We still need to improve on buying food from local shops, we do get local eggs though. I’ve got my parents to only but FT coffee and tea