Where to buy organic and reasonably priced produce (San Diego, Del Mar: rent, coop)

[sxb317]

We are new(ish) to San Diego and love the variety and quality of fresh produce. However wonderful and fun they are, farmers markets are overpriced and so is Whole Foods of course. I was just wondering if there are any local grocery stores in San Diego that sell more reasonably priced organic produce. For those who may have lived in Texas, I'm talking about a place like Central Market owned by HEB. We live near UCSD.

thanks

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Near UCSD you have Bristol Farms, but they will be up there in price.

I think most of us locals here can agree that in terms of chains, Sprouts has great prices on their produce.
Looks like there is one right nearby to you in UTC.
CALIFORNIA - San Diego - University City in San Diego, CA - Sprouts Farmers Market

[earlyretirement]

Yeah, my wife gets some stuff at Sprouts but to be honest we get a lot of organic stuff at Whole Foods and the Farmer's Markets as well.

I agree with the OP that some of the Farmer's markets in the area can get pricey.

Any of you pros know what are the most affordable Farmer's Markets with the best organic produce? There are so many.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Yes there are many of them. But as far as differences in price for organic? Hrm not sure as several of these markets are run by the same organizers and the farms just follow their markets.

Up in La Jolla or UTC havent heard very positive things about the area in terms of affordable organic.

It might require venturing out of the UTC area a bit.

Also be aware of 'organic' labeled stuff at the farmers markets. This is certainly an exception, not unheard of where, there was a vendor that was busted recently (at the Hillcrest market?) as his stuff was tested by the Fed and found to not be organic or meet their requirements but he was selling it as organic.
Big difference between paying big bucks for the organic label and being a sustainable farm. Many times there isnt much of a difference in the practice of those farms, just the labels. This is one of the reasons Whole Foods has such high costs on their organic stuff. The labeling is a fortune for most farms and Whole Foods demographic doesnt necessarily cater to bargain hunters per se.

As far as prices, I think the city core neighborhoods have the most activity and vendors competing on prices for similar stuff. Our favorites are Little Italy and Hillcrest although we have been going to Rancho SD's on Saturdays lately.

If you are willing to skip the organic label and get fresh produce try Northgate Markets or any of the asian markets in the Clairemont Mesa area such as Ranch 99 (99>Ranch lol).

Keep in mind, buying in season will save you some bucks. I would recommend a CSA if money wasnt an issue. They are a nice supplement to a weekly shop.

Farmers Markets in San Diego - Find locally grown produce: San Diego County Farm Bureau

[earlyretirement]

Thanks Shmoov. Yeah, we've hit a few of these different ones in the different neighborhoods. I always wondered about some of these vendors that market as "organic" and they probably aren't. LOL.

That's why we like Whole Foods. I'm reasonable comfortable that their stuff is really organic. As to if it's really better for you. I'm not sure. But our kids are MUCH bigger and healthier than kids their age. Our 3 year old is bigger than many 5 year olds. (Of course it could just be my super DNA... Just kidding...LOL).

[shmoov_groovzsd]

ER, there are all kinds of studies out there about the health benefits of organic vs non. For me its not so much about any taste different as it is about the farming practices. This is why for us sustainable farming really can be seen as organic in disguise. I dont think for a second the majority of the small farmers arent doing this. There will definitely be the exception, but really this is their livelihood. Probably not something they want to mess with especially if the Feds are getting involved with sampling and then fining some of these vendors.
Yeah, Whole Foods doesnt mess around. They most definitely get certified organic stuff. I am certain that is partly the reason for your super-kids

There have been blind taste tests (just google) for certain organic foods and if I recall, most testers didnt even pick out the organic as what they thought was the best tasting. So as far as taste, thats totally subjective of course. The whole produce industry is really fascinating in terms of what an orange (as an example) has to look like for it people to buy it in a grocery store.

We get our eggs right in LG from some friends that have nice little chicken farm (one of the few benefits of living in LG) and our CSA is local as well as there are many large plots of land that we have already seen some hippy pioneering types rent out to start their mini farms or are buying homes with a 1/4 acre plus to start their farms.
Urban farming is here to stay it seems

[Fran66]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

Thanks Shmoov. Yeah, we've hit a few of these different ones in the different neighborhoods. I always wondered about some of these vendors that market as "organic" and they probably aren't. LOL.

That's why we like Whole Foods. I'm reasonable comfortable that their stuff is really organic. As to if it's really better for you. I'm not sure. But our kids are MUCH bigger and healthier than kids their age. Our 3 year old is bigger than many 5 year olds. (Of course it could just be my super DNA... Just kidding...LOL).

I am not trying to start another long disagreement, Early Retirement. Truly. But WF I don't trust at all (and I won't shop at Sprouts). I just wouldn't believe WF no matter what they said. (And even the employees call it "whole paycheck".) With that said, I shop there almost exclusively. During the months when we have no Farmers Markets (which is most of the months here), WF has the best produce in town. Which is not saying much. Oh, I can't wait to get back to CA produce.

Just FYI: If you don't know where your chickens are coming from, try "Mary's Chickens". They are organic and non-GMO (supposedly). They are also air-chilled rather than water-bathed. They are the best chickens I've ever had, and they come from -- California! I buy them at a small coop here; no one else in ABQ sells them. I have no idea where you would get them in Southern CA. (I'm not a beef eater so I have no knowledge about beef.)

Ok, now I'll shut up!

[armourereric]

Have you tried Jimbo's on Del Mar? also, have you given the Hillcrest Farnmer's market a chance? You can buy my duck eggs there.

[earlyretirement]

Originally Posted by Fran66

I am not trying to start another long disagreement, Early Retirement. Truly. But WF I don't trust at all (and I won't shop at Sprouts). I just wouldn't believe WF no matter what they said. (And even the employees call it "whole paycheck".) With that said, I shop there almost exclusively. During the months when we have no Farmers Markets (which is most of the months here), WF has the best produce in town. Which is not saying much. Oh, I can't wait to get back to CA produce.

Just FYI: If you don't know where your chickens are coming from, try "Mary's Chickens". They are organic and non-GMO (supposedly). They are also air-chilled rather than water-bathed. They are the best chickens I've ever had, and they come from -- California! I buy them at a small coop here; no one else in ABQ sells them. I have no idea where you would get them in Southern CA. (I'm not a beef eater so I have no knowledge about beef.)

Ok, now I'll shut up!

Hey Fran. We spent a few weeks last year in Santa Fe and shopped at Whole Foods there quite a bit. They had great stuff! They had some types of cheeses I never to this day found in other bigger locations in other cities. Yeah I totally get the "whole paycheck" joke. It isn't cheap. That's for sure!

I went on a gluten free try a few months ago ( I only lasted 2 weeks but that's besides the point. Haha). Anyway I went to Whole Foods for all the stuff and not sure how the gluten free folks do it. It was so terribly expensive.

[Fran66]

Originally Posted by earlyretirement

Hey Fran. We spent a few weeks last year in Santa Fe and shopped at Whole Foods there quite a bit. They had great stuff! They had some types of cheeses I never to this day found in other bigger locations in other cities. Yeah I totally get the "whole paycheck" joke. It isn't cheap. That's for sure!

I went on a gluten free try a few months ago ( I only lasted 2 weeks but that's besides the point. Haha). Anyway I went to Whole Foods for all the stuff and not sure how the gluten free folks do it. It was so terribly expensive.

We don't have a lot of choices here. We have WF, The Vitamin Cottage (with a little produce and a little meat), and The Coop, which is horribly expensive. Unless we want to go to a regular grocery store, those places are it.

I cook all my own meals and from scratch. I even soak my own dry beans. (Cooking from scratch is becoming a pain after 7 years, I'll tell ya.)

I did gluten-free for a while, and I still do it pretty much, come to think of it. But what I started a couple of weeks ago is food-combining. It's not easy, and I don't follow it strictly, but what I do 100% is eat fruit alone -- all alone -- and not eat again for another 4 hours. (Which means no tomatoes or avocado on salad -- they are fruits.) And I don't eat anything 4 hours before going to bed. 4 hours pretty much let's the stomach empty. I don't eat meat after 1 p.m. And I've never felt so good.

Yes, I know we've been told to eat every 2-3 hours to keep our blood sugar levels steady, and I'm sure that are people who must eat every 2-3 hours. However, I used to graze all day long, on anything and everything (except candy, ice cream, cake, etc.), and now I'm finding that eating only every 4 hours is not a problem for me at all. //// I didn't start this because I had any problems with digestion. I just started it because it sounded good to me. And, if nothing else, my stomach 'bloat' has gone away, and I also sleep better. I'm also eating less -- and my food expense has gone down! :-)

Ok, I have GOT to go to bed. Talk to you tomorrow.