Today, I’m doing a multi-post series chronicling how I actually eat (everything from what I
typical feed my family during the day to how I maintain a garden). You can read
more on From Scratch Club and Eat Local.
I thought I would talk about the places that I shop and
source from. Even though I live in a small town (population: 377), I have a
bevy of options when it comes to groceries.
In the warmer months (and with stuff that can be
over-wintered), I love “shopping” in my backyard. Having sustenance from one’s
own efforts is a luxury I wish more people had. I’m talking about my garden over
on the Eat Local blog.
I get a lot of produce and cheeses from Mildred’s, which is
run by Jessica. It’s right in town and I try to go over once a week. Some of
the items I buy at Mildred’s include cheese, berries, tomatoes, onion,
potatoes, seeds and plants. I even get my Christmas tree, topsoil, and mulch
here. Jessica is great and I know I can shoot her a message on Facebook anytime
and she’ll do her best to accommodate my requests.
Echo Pond Farm
My neighbors own Echo Pond Farm and run a small farm stand
at the end of their driveway. I get delicious sweet corn, peppers, squash,
grapes, and pumpkins. I have great neighbors who are always happy to help me
with gardening advice, and even gave the kids a giant pumpkin last year for
Halloween (same neighbor with the great homebrewing advice!). It’s great to see much of what I eat grown just up the road, too.
I get my spices and many baking supplies here (and sometimes
junky stuff like candy and chips and such). Rice, pasta, local honey are also
available. They now offer freshly milled local flour – score!
I run here to get milk and ice cream as needed, and that’s
about it (and my favorite flavor of ice cream, Dark Chocolate, just won
the top prize at the 2012 World Dairy Expo!)
I get deli items and meats here, especially sustainably-raised
beef from just up the road. Local sausages are available, as is the most
delicious hamburger, named after our town.
I don’t buy much pre-packaged food, but I do still buy
“essentials” (vinegars, oil, salt, baking products, hummus, milk, any
prescriptions (when needed)) from my local grocery store (Hannaford). They also
have racecar shopping carts, which make the kids super-happy.
Other Items
Since I also do a lot of home preservation (aka: Canning and “putting up”), I can typically turn to my pantry to find lots of jams, jellies, sauces, relishes, and other items to build meals from.
If I’m in that neck of the woods, I’ll stop
into the Fresh Market or Honest Weight Food Co-Op for gourmet or
specialty items. I try to hit up the farmers market when I can, but because I
can get most of what I need locally or from my own backyard, I don’t need to
visit as often as others might. Sometimes I'll hit-up the little liquor store in town or grab take-out from the small restaurants in town.
Where do you grocery shop? Are you a “one-stop-shopper” or
do you go to several smaller markets? Share your “shopping strategy” in the
comments, if you’d like!
1 comment:
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