Guest guest Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Isabella i b [izdabe] Tuesday, June 07, 2005 10:24 PM Re: [Raw Food] Sharing responsibilities However, if you're on food stamps, chances are you're on a budget and when you have to " choose " between spending $2 for ONE organic tomato or .79/lb for tomatoes from Walmart, well... in my opinion, it doesn't really become much of a choice. _____ Hi Isabella and all, I realize I am snipping a tiny statement from your long and thoughtful message. I do not mean to diminish the importance of the rest of your message in any way, but I sense a real opportunity in the foregoing comment. In this circumstance, I would suggest buying zero tomatoes and concentrating instead on those foods that will bring you maximum healthful calories. This is a great example of where buying bananas by the case could be a windfall. Now Whole Foods will likely not " cooperate " with what I am about to suggest, but many smaller stores will indeed cooperate. For several years now, we have worked on our relationships with the produce managers at a couple of smaller local stores that do carry organic produce. Let me be clear -- we do NOT come from a place of financial want, but rather from a place of utter enthusiasm for the products they sell. We LOVE our organic produce! And they tend to like this -- sometimes a lot! More often than we used to realize, they have foods -- bananas being a common one -- that become " overripe. " By " overripe, " I mean that most consumers won't buy them -- yet they are PERFECT for eating!! We have made an arrangement with one or two such managers to call us the moment this occurs, we tell they " we'll come get em! " And the prices are often amazing, e.g., bananas for less than 10 cents / pound!!! at times. Of course, it helps if you like bananas :) Then we learned that sometimes their distributors also have overripes -- by the case! So we asked the produce managers to ask, and to let us know whenever this showed up on their lists from their distributors. Bananas for $10-$15 / 40# case, and with some frequency!!! If they ripen too fast, just put them into the refrigerator with spots but before they become mushy, they'll last for some time this way. You don't have to pay retail for everything!!!!! If you are buying what they believe they cannot sell and would otherwise likely throw away, you improve BOTH their bottom line and your way of life. This presents a genuine win-win proposition, IMHO. Oh, FYI, this can also work at the farmers market. For example, I've sometimes paid $20 for a $40 box of " overripe " tomatoes. They were the only ripe tomatoes in the whole market!!! NOTE: I've even go so far as to ask some farmers if they might have some overripes at NEXT week's market, then if they say anything even resembling " maybe, " I get their phone # and call them a couple days in advance just to " inquire, " get an " update, " " stay in touch, " etc. Doesn't always work, but often enough!!! Remember, " ask and you shall receive. " Most people seem to think this is a statement about receiving. I believe it is a statement about asking, the receiving is merely an outcome. Just be persistent, patient ... and positive. Relationships take time to nurture ... so nurture away! That's what I have to say. (Uh-oh, there he goes again.) Hope this is helpful. Elchanan PS If all else fails, come and visit us in California, we'll SHOW you what we mean! -- ------------------------ [ SECURITY NOTICE ] ------------------------ rawfood , rawschool . For your security, vlinfo digitally signed this message on 09 June 2005 at 14:10:22 UTC. Verify this digital signature at http://www.ciphire.com/verify. ------------------- [ CIPHIRE DIGITAL SIGNATURE ] ------------------- Q2lwaGlyZSBTaWcuAVdyYXdmb29kQHlhaG9vZ3JvdXBzLmNvbSwgcmF3c2Nob29sQHlha G9vZ3JvdXBzLmNvbQB2bGluZm9AZWFydGhsaW5rLm5ldABlbWFpbCBib2R5AO0KAAB8AH wAAAABAAAAzk2oQu0KAAB5AwACAAIAAgAgWd+jWXfInHvayeGZWK7egaxIx/Ds85ig0C7 EzQ1Fg5gBAIYEpBOTbs87zkSZHhSIvzVVwfRghtV1X2jI/sjxmdF9XoQQfqxOgsAPd38H 75HSnr0DvLTb1rlnNuOpV65++O/IU2lnRW5k --------------------- [ END DIGITAL SIGNATURE ] --------------------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2005 Report Share Posted June 9, 2005 Hi Elchanan and Everyone. I had NO IDEA that this was even an option...my wheels are turning....LOL. And it's funny because I work at a shelter where often we get produce and other items from the surplus at grocery stores, including Whole Foods. Why didn't I consider getting food for myself? Gosh, I'm so slow;) I will definitely check out buying from other places that have a surplus. I also didn't know that one could special order food items from a grocery store. See? This is what I'm talking about...If more folks learn information such as this, it empowers them to make better choice for themselves. Thank you so much, for sharing this! Isabella Mail Stay connected, organized, and protected. Take the tour: http://tour.mail./mailtour.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.