Shopping for Organic/All Natural Produce, Poultry, Fish, Products, etc? (Alexandria: home, buying)

[jeksmom062405]

Hi All,

I have an automimmune disease and my son has special needs. I tend to be pretty strict about our diet, as I do think it makes a huge difference. That being said, we tend to shop a lot at Whole Foods, but it's so expensive. I am just trying to think of ways to save money, as I will be home full-time next month.

We are in Burke and I thought I should go to the farmer's market on Saturdays and support local farmers. Does anyone tend to shop there? Also, I have heard that Costco does sell some organic poultry, fish and products? Anyone have any experience? How about Wegman's?

Thanks so much in advance!
Tara

[EuroExpat]

Wegmans, Costco and Trader Joe's all have organic poultry and produce. Probably all the grocery stores carry some organic meats now. Fish doesn't get organic certification (yet). This time of the year you won't be finding any local produce but many farmers markets sell local meats. There are not that many organic farms in Virginia (a lot in Maryland though) so the produce will be local but not necessary organic. Good luck!

[ACWhite]

At least some Harris - Teeter stores also have organic items (produce, meat/poultry, eggs, dairy, cereals, snacks, pet foods, etc.) but you have to look for them as there isn't the same quantity or quality in some cases, as with Whole Foods.

[LVMYDACH]

My daughter, who is a college student at GMU, loves shopping at Trader Joe's. She eats a strict vegan diet and finds that Trader Joe's prices cannot be beat for organic and other special food items for her diet! Trader Joes is a small store and you will not find the large selection that Whole Foods offers. However, they have a lot of very good products (many of which are their own brand name) and it's certainly worth checking out if your looking for value. There is a Trader Joe's located in Centreville and Fairfax, not that far from Burke. Personally, I like the Fairfax store because it seems to be a little larger and offers more frozen products. Trader Joe's has a web site you can look up to get more information. Wegman's also has a good selection of organic products, but not as cheap as Trader Joes's. My daughter gets items that she can't find at Trader Joe's at the Wegmans in Fairfax. It's a fantastic store.

[tankdude]

Originally Posted by LVMYDACH

My daughter, who is a college student at GMU, loves shopping at Trader Joe's. She eats a strict vegan diet and finds that Trader Joe's prices cannot be beat for organic and other special food items for her diet! Trader Joes is a small store and you will not find the large selection that Whole Foods offers. However, they have a lot of very good products (many of which are their own brand name) and it's certainly worth checking out if your looking for value. There is a Trader Joe's located in Centreville and Fairfax, not that far from Burke. Personally, I like the Fairfax store because it seems to be a little larger and offers more frozen products. Trader Joe's has a web site you can look up to get more information. Wegman's also has a good selection of organic products, but not as cheap as Trader Joes's. My daughter gets items that she can't find at Trader Joe's at the Wegmans in Fairfax. It's a fantastic store.

I too like Trader Joes, but the pricing at Trader Joes is a bit misleading.

Although the prices at first blush don't seem that high, the portions are also lower. They're not going to make available the price/ounce for you.

[LVMYDACH]

Tankdude - thanks for that bit of info. I'll tell my daughter to be more careful of what she is buying when it comes to size and cost. She normally doesn't pay to much attention to the price per lb/oz because it's Mom and Dad's money that she is spending! I do know that several items that she buys on a regular basis are cheaper than at Whole Foods or Wegmans. I've had to go shopping for her on a few occasions and noted there is a difference in price between the stores. I guess it all depends on what you are buying.

[greeniebean]

Originally Posted by EuroExpat

Wegmans, Costco and Trader Joe's all have organic poultry and produce. Probably all the grocery stores carry some organic meats now. Fish doesn't get organic certification (yet). This time of the year you won't be finding any local produce but many farmers markets sell local meats. There are not that many organic farms in Virginia (a lot in Maryland though) so the produce will be local but not necessary organic. Good luck!

The Burke farmer's market doesn't open until the end of May, but the one in Falls Church City is year-round and they do have vendors with fresh vegetables this time of year (grown in-ground in a greenhouse or hoophouse).

Absolutely source "organic" meat at the farmer's market when you can (most of the farms that sell aren't certified organic, but follow sustainable and organic practices). It's a lot cheaper than buying at Whole Foods, and if you have the freezer space, you might even consider buying half a side of beef, pork or lamb for some huge savings.

As for produce; ditto the above commenter. Most of the produce vendors don't follow organic principles so make sure to ask. You might also consider getting a CSA membership to have a steady supply of healthy vegetables during the summer. The one we belong to (Bull Run Mountain farm) is based in The Plains and has pickups in Manassas, Centreville and Alexandria on weeknights. Again, he isn't certified organic, but does follow organic principles. The Post ran an article on CSAs a couple weeks ago washingtonpost.com
You can also find participating farms at Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food

[msjack]

I also love Trader Joe's! It's definitely not a huge store, but they pack a lot in there . Since you live in burke, they do have one in Springfield. It's off of old keene mill, down right before the mall. It's in the shopping center with the kmart and giant. Depending on how far you are willing to drive, there are a few farms out here in PWC/fauquier, that sell organic meats/eggs, that were raised right on their farm. There's one off of Rte 55. Try googling organic meats/dairy northern va. That's what I did and it brought up a lot of the farms/places that sell it that are local. It takes a little digging but you can find it. That is if you are not wanting to buy from your supermarket. Good luck!

[VEIK]

Dont forget Balducci's in Mclean.

They carry organic products.

[becwells]

Originally Posted by greeniebean

As for produce; ditto the above commenter. Most of the produce vendors don't follow organic principles so make sure to ask. You might also consider getting a CSA membership to have a steady supply of healthy vegetables during the summer. The one we belong to (Bull Run Mountain farm) is based in The Plains and has pickups in Manassas, Centreville and Alexandria on weeknights. Again, he isn't certified organic, but does follow organic principles. The Post ran an article on CSAs a couple weeks ago washingtonpost.com
You can also find participating farms at Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food

I love the idea of a CSA, but am unsure about it. Do you get a wide variety of produce? Do you find you use it all in a week? It would be just me and my husband, so I'm worried that we're going to spend $500+ for food we don't get around to eating.

Has anyone else tried local CSA's? I'm looking into both Bull Run and Graceland...any suggestions??