Eating Organic on a Budget

The more I learn about the chemicals in our foods and the way our foods are raised and processed, the more I want to eat organic foods. I want our family to be as healthy as possible and when I look at the research that shows all sorts of strange illnesses and diseases that have come about (or become much more prevalent) since we started mass producing and processing foods, I shudder to think about what I am feeding my kids. Here are some of the ways we try to eat organic on a budget. Keep in mind that we do not eat only organic, but I am constantly striving to increase the amount we do, while not increasing my grocery budget.

1. Shop the sales. Just like regular foods, organic foods go on sale. Stick with those foods each week and stock up when they are on sale if you can.
2. Grow your own if you can. Every year our garden gets bigger and I make sure that it stays organic.
3. Buy in bulk. We have purchased 2 batches of organic meats this way and by purchasing it in bulk, we have gotten it for about the same price as non-organic meat from the grocery store. We found local farms through Eat Wild.
4. Search for pick your own places near you that use organic methods. We have been able to get massive amounts of organic fruit that I have then preserved for us to eat all year.
5. Shop Amazon. I know that sounds weird, but they have a large selection of organic products and a few times a year have a pretty good sale on them. You are typically buying a larger quantity, but that brings the price down even more.
6. Look into joining a coop. I haven't found one near us yet, but I hear of other people that have great success with this.