Alexandria- where do you buy your produce?

[Bigfoot424]

We had a few places where we could purchase veggies (fresh) when we lived in NOVA but after moving out here to the valley we have so many more locations for obvious reasons. So many small farms out here. Even at church we walk to the front door and there are often boxes of fruits and veggies from by our members. Only grocery stores near us are Food Lion and Walmart and it's very rare if we get any of these from them. Even farm fresh eggs are sold all over the place out here for $3 a dozen to include signs in front of many homes.

[ersatz]

Hey Bigfoot

Yeah, there are a lot more farms in your area than inside the Beltway. I just spent most of this week in your area, driving around and enjoying being outside the Beltway. Bought meat, eggs, produce from local Shenandoah farms and orchards and noticed ... hey, prices are not really much different from what they are charging in the NoVA suburb farmers markets and produce stands.

Many people I know have extensive veggie and herb gardens. Many are willing and eager to share their abundance with friends, coworkers and religious congregations. If anyone with an ample private garden harvest is reading this, you can always donate your local garden harvest to those who truly need it though https://ampleharvest.org/donate-food/

Happy Harvesting.

[lovely40]

Originally Posted by tigerlilly31415

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been using grocery delivery or if these particular stores just aren’t good (I’m new in town), but I can’t seem to get usable produce near Old Town. From Giant this week I got a bag of rotten apples, a bag of rotten onions, moldy grapes, some really elderly carrots, and zero bananas. Similar experience with Safeway, including the zero bananas. Feel like I’m flushing money down the toilet. Where do you all shop?

Edit: also, what is your go-to place for higher priced items? Things like granola bars and such are more expensive than I’d like at the local groceries, is Amazon best for that kinda thing? Or Costco or something?

Wegmans or Whole Foods. Sometimes, Harris Teeter, Trader Joes or Aldi's. I avoid places like Giant/Safeway and Walmart esp for groceries. Also, download the Ibotta app. Simply save items to lists that you'll set up. Purchase the items. Photo and upload receipts in the app. And, save a little bit of money.

[tgbwc]

Originally Posted by Bigfoot424

We had a few places where we could purchase veggies (fresh) when we lived in NOVA but after moving out here to the valley we have so many more locations for obvious reasons. So many small farms out here. Even at church we walk to the front door and there are often boxes of fruits and veggies from by our members. Only grocery stores near us are Food Lion and Walmart and it's very rare if we get any of these from them. Even farm fresh eggs are sold all over the place out here for $3 a dozen to include signs in front of many homes.

Can you share those suggestions? Unless you are thinking the OP should drive out to your area your post isn’t very helpful.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Can you share those suggestions? Unless you are thinking the OP should drive out to your area your post isn’t very helpful.

Someone pee in your cereal? I wasn't necessarily doing it to he "helpful" to the OP or anyone else as I know few would drive out this way for vegetables. Plus some of the locations start closing down for the winter soon and of course fresh veggies, at least local ones, become harder to find. Anyone was free to ask me if they wanted to know.

[weezycom]

Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter in Old Town both have pretty good produce. I'd also hit the farmer's market on the City Hall Square on Saturday mornings; it will be pricey, but it will also be fresh & local.

I've found that the Giant delivery for produce is not good except for green bananas that I can let ripen on the counter.

[ersatz]

Originally Posted by tigerlilly31415

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been using grocery delivery or if these particular stores just aren’t good (I’m new in town), but I can’t seem to get usable produce near Old Town. From Giant this week I got a bag of rotten apples, a bag of rotten onions, moldy grapes, some really elderly carrots, and zero bananas. Similar experience with Safeway, including the zero bananas. Feel like I’m flushing money down the toilet. Where do you all shop?

Edit: also, what is your go-to place for higher priced items? Things like granola bars and such are more expensive than I’d like at the local groceries, is Amazon best for that kinda thing? Or Costco or something?

If there is one thing that Alexandria is not short of - it's grocery stores. There are some 15 grocery stores within a three mile radius of me. People have thrown out a number of alternatives for you but I can add more - you asked about a good place to buy higher priced items such as granola bars without buying them off Amazon. I hate to point out the obvious, but Walmart and Target sell that kind of stuff too.

Try MOMs (Off Mt Vernon Ave) for a good selection of high priced items. I like https://www.thefreshmarket.com/ in the Bradlee Shopping Center on King Street. In addition to an excellent line of fresh food and bakery products they also have a large line of "Finish at Home" meal kits. The kits are pricier than creating a meal from scratch but cheaper than buying from a restaurant.

In addition to the standard grocery stores, the Asian supermarket chains (still the best for variety and price), and the many local farmers markets (most stop in October but the Old Town Alexandria farmers market is year round), I buy a lot of produce at https://nallsproduce.com/ in Kingstowne.

You seem to prefer delivery. Back when I had less time and a bigger budget, I used one of the farming network delivery services. I always received more fruits and veggies than I knew what to do with, and they had a policy that if anything was not in superb condition, all I had to do was tell them and they would replace it. There are several delivery services in our area https://www.washingtonian.com/2020/0...farm-delivery/. Several people I know have enthusiastically recommended 4P.