It’s a beautiful day in southern Colorado. The sun is shining. The sky is blue. The warm weather beckoned us outside reminding us why we choose this little piece of God’s good earth to call home.
Today, I look at my dining room table, laden with fresh fruits and vegetables and it reminds me of another place I once called home. Because I live in a remote community, it can be a challenge to keep my fridge stocked with fresh fruits and vegetables. But, in that other place, half way around the world, it wasn’t so. I had 4 grocery stores within a two minute walk of my house.
On Saturday mornings, I’d hop on my bike and head to the local outdoor market. I’d buy no less than twenty-five pounds of fresh fruit each week and by week’s end, my five little ones would have eaten through all of it! When you limit snacks to fruits and vegetables, kids tend to eat more of these nutritious foods.
My bike was equipped with saddlebags that straddled the back tires. These I’d load with fruit and vegetables. French bread, maybe some pastries, as a treat for the kids, and fresh flowers would fill the basket that hung from my handlebars. Flowers. Three dozen roses. Every. Single. Week. For less than I pay now for a latte! Yes, fresh flowers are a wonderful benefit of living in Holland!
A slamming door abruptly interrupts my thoughts and brings me back to the present. I look out the window to see a couple of my girls, unable to resist this beautiful day, head outside to ride their horses.
I turn my attention once again to the bounty before me. In Holland, it was easy to have a constant supply of fresh produce. And while there are a multitude of things to love about my home here in Colorado, having fresh produce has proven to be a little bit challenging.
One thing that has helped was discovering Bountiful Baskets.
Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op for purchasing fresh produce. It’s available in communities all over the country and offered either weekly or bi-weekly. Participants reserve their basket on Monday or Tuesday and pick it up the following weekend at a designated time and place.
I like Bountiful Baskets for a couple of reasons. I love that it’s a community event. Members of the community work together to receive and distribute the baskets, and it’s fun to bump into friends and acquaintances during the pick-up time.
Another benefit to the Baskets is the variety. I never know what the basket will contain and occasionally I get vegetables I normally wouldn’t buy. Because I’m frugal and hate waste, this encourages me to try new things and find new recipes.
In addition to their regular produce baskets, and organic alternative is available and they sometimes offer bread, and local honey as well.
Finally, Bountiful Baskets are affordable. This week I made an itemized list of the things in my basket and priced them at King Soopers (Krogers) in the nearest town. I paid $18.00 for my basket. Had I purchased these items at Kings, I would have paid in excess of $23.00, even with their current sale prices. That’s a savings of 22%.
See the blueberries? It came with more but the girls ate most of them on the way home from the pick-up.
For a family on a budget, that can make a huge difference over the course of the year. The best part for me though, is that I didn’t have to go to the store! Maybe, with the time I saved, I’ll head outside and enjoy some Colorado sunshine!
Check out Bountiful Baskets here. If you try it, let me know what you think.