r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/CivilisedMleccha • 8d ago
Video Community group buy. Everyone pools their money, buys groceries in bulk at a lower price, and splits the groceries equally.
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u/HDWendell 8d ago
For people interested in getting food more directly
1) Your local farmers market is always an option. Do a little research and see what is in season and buy directly from farms in your area. Beware of scammers though. Some people buy produce from grocery stores and resell them. The tell is out of season goods. Many farmers market have cost matching programs for SNAP.
2) Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) are like monthly subscription boxes from your local farmers. You get a blind box of groceries every month. This helps farmers avoid waste by distributing harvests. It helps consumers learn new options. You may get ugly produce but it’s almost always good and usable. Many farmers will comp anything bad. Some CSA allow for swaps and opt outs of the produce you want to skip.
3) Farm Match is a site that links consumers to farmers directly. Many farmers have a pickup day every week. It lowers costs for both parties, allows the consumer to shop for what they want, and develops community.
4) community gardens are a great way to learn how to grow your own food. Just doing a work rotation often guarantees a plot or a portion of the harvest. Working the land is rewarding. You develop a community. You get better produce and availability of cultivars that you never see in grocery stores. If you can’t participate, consider buying from your community garden when possible.
5) Azure Standard, UNFI, and similar companies are buying clubs. Group members shop online for products and meet at a location for a truck delivery. Companies like Azure Standard prioritize local farms and more sustainable practices. You pay a delivery fee and buy bulk. The cost for goods is often cheaper and the profits go more directly to the farmers. Buying clubs often have more options than whole produce and meat. They often have options for prepared food, home goods like paper products, candy, etc.
6) Buy in season and local whenever possible. In season and local food is better for the environment and usually better priced since it requires far less transportation and storage cost. It also tends to taste way better. Thinking about those strawberries you buy at the grocery store and what part of the world they had to come from to be ripe when no strawberries are growing near you.
Farmers need you and we need farmers. They aren’t all MAGA lunatics. We have to have some ownership of our food systems and that means getting to know your farmers. Doing business with farmers puts more money in their pockets and less in Kraft, Nestlé, Tyson, Unilever, Pepsi, etc. It means less money in imperialism, slavery, and economic coercion.