???Local produce???

[Theorum]

I'm having a bit of a karma moment when it comes to buying food from large supermarkets with things in the news like food miles, treatment of animals, out of season vegetables and dare I say it GM produce that were all led to believe will be the saviour of the human race...blah......blah.........blah!

As Elspeth Huxley (author of The Flame Trees of Thika and other books) wrote: "You cannot sell a blemished apple in the supermarket, but you can sell a tasteless one provided it is shiny, smooth, even, uniform and bright." (sounds like a Christmas carol lol)

Farmers Markets - does anyone on here use them? If so what are the prices compared to Sainsbury's "Taste The Difference" or Asda and Tesco "premium brands"

Local Farm Shops - where do they source their produce from?

Organic Produce Delivery Companies - Are they as good as they sound?

I've done a little research into buying Half a pig to freeze, its butchered (basic cuts). I've been told so far that works out at between £2 - £3 per Kg (Asda = £6 - £9 per Kg)

THE MATHS: lets say you buy £100 worth of pig off a farmer direct (who knows a butcher/slaughter house).
In Asda this will cost you around £300 over the counter.
Farmer sells pig to Asda for £50, or there about .

Another fine dollar for the wall-mart Industrial Food Producing Machine!!!!!!!

 

[tek-monkey]

I use farmers markets, they are generally overpriced if I'm honest. However you do get some gems, in particular the cake stall at Stafford that sells stuff for lots of people. The labels say who made it, I assume they get a %. They have some great stuff on there, and very reasonable. The new one doing chutney is also great, heathers harvest I believe its called?

Local farm shops are out for me, as I don't drive. If there are any good (and cheap!) ones I'd love to know.

Gramaisc posted a local delivery company recently, it seemed a bit expensive if you ask me. Food could be amazing though, I've not tried it!

As for a pig, been tempted myself! Or a lamb, mmmm.

 

[Theorum]

I'm not sure your average Local Farm Shop are all they're cracked up to be, I think they run them by going through a wholesaler. The ones I've been to over the years seem to just sell out of season produce like you get in the supermarkets minus the turnover (you do get the odd local gem though to be fair).

My plan:

Meat - just waiting on a farmer friend to get back to me about half an animal for freezing.

Vegetables - you only have to turn up at the farm when they are in season, buy in bulk, store properly and you can make some serious savings

Fruit - we've only got access to the best apples and pairs in the entire world, couple this with the rest of the soft fruits available throughout our glorious summer months (applying preservation techniques of coarse mmmmmm jam!)

Fish - were're always going to struggle geographically on this one (unless we stop giving all the fishing rights away)

Plan all this well the savings and food quality become an evermore appealing prospect for me!

I'm starting here http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/local/seasonal/table/

 

[Wormella]

I've no idea on the new Stafford local veg delivery service, what you have to remember with any 'local' service is your rather limited by what people actually grow in their fields. It meant with the one we used to sign up to in Liverpool gave us a beautiful supply of all round beetroot.

Friends of mine who signed up for the last local one said similar issues of the same stuff week in week out.

We now get our veg box from Riverford (have for about 3 Years) but with the give and take from other Riverford farms gives us a good range of stuff - but mainly it comes for the farm in Cheshire.

I suppose it depends on your idea of local.

These guys might be able to help too: http://www.bigbarn.co.uk/

Also, they arn't cheap but Brown & Greens at Trentham have a great selection of local stuff, maybe some ideas of where to go direct.

 

[Gramaisc]

Local farm shops are out for me, as I don't drive. If there are any good (and cheap!) ones I'd love to know.

There is a farm outlet on Doxey Road just by the motorway bridge - but I have no experience of it directly, although it has been mentioned on here before without any complaints that I can recall. Just about doable from Tek Monkey Towers?..

 

[tek-monkey]

Should be doable, especially if I get back on my bike. Will have a look, anyone else used them?

For veg I always used the old couple on the car boot, decent stuff and cheap too, but they used a wholesaler for a lot of stuff from what I could tell.

To be honest I generally live out of the reduced section in sainsburys, freezing whatever I can, but I'm quite lucky in that I walk past it every evening on my way home.

 

[John Marwood]

If you want to be kind to your health and your wealth dont eat meat

Meat will rise rapidly in price because animal feed will rise rapidly in price. Eating less meat also means less chance of cancer

If you want to eat local produce try raised beds - even now in the middle of winter you can pick fresh carrots

If you live in a flat then this maybe tricky

A farm in Ellenhall makes prize winning cheeses - A house nearby sells fresh eggs

If you can grow onions you might be onto a winner...

 

[Gramaisc]

If you live in a flat then this maybe tricky.

First, pick your flat.

 

[Theorum]

Half a pig secured

Is a very healthy saving, I've been asked not to publish the figures but I advise everyone to look in to doing this.

I'll report back on taste and satisfaction as soon as Pepper arrives.

Bag of Wilja potatoes £4.50 for 25 Kg (you'd be very surprised how long these last when they are in season).

 

[Gramaisc]

Many years ago, I used to buy sacks of spuds from this farm, but I don't know if they still do it.

 

[Theorum]

Many years ago, I used to buy sacks of spuds from this farm, but I don't know if they still do it.

Sourced my spuds through a family member direct from a farmer, I'm sure farmers would love to do this if there was an easier way of by-passing supermarkets after all they would be better off for it.

 

[Gramaisc]

Many years ago, I used to buy sacks of spuds from this farm, but I don't know if they still do it.

Sourced my spuds through a family member direct from a farmer, I'm sure farmers would love to do this if there was an easier way of by-passing supermarkets after all they would be better off for it.

There may now be regulatory matters to consider that might put some off doing that. Allowing public access to farmyards may have some cost implications, etc...

 

[tek-monkey]

Half a pig secured

Excellent news, I'll be interested to see how this goes. Was it butchered to spec, random cuts or actually half a pig?

 

[zebidee]

Growing our own spuds saved us a packet and they last forever. Totally awesome, honestly.

 

[Theorum]

Growing our own spuds saved us a packet and they last forever. Totally awesome, honestly.

This is something we should do and one day will have to

 

[Scoot Doggy Dogg]

I had a postcard through the door last night but it's been binned and I can't remember the name of it. Was a franchise in Stafford of a larger company.

Had a quick look last night and they were supplying produce from Cumbria, Derbyshire and Europe. Didn't seem quite the "local produce" they claimed although the Organic claim would stand up I guess.

I had a couple of baskets from a mate of a mate a couple of summers ago. £15-20 a basket and will put "bespoke" lots together

I'll look for his email. He doesn't produce anything until Spring/ May time but it's all picked and delivered within half hour and v. good value... spuds, carrotts (the early ones are stupidly sweet), broc, onions, herbs, toms, cucumbers, peppers

He even does Brussels and xmas veg. It's so organic it actually only gets produced in the seasons.

I grew too much last year and threw a hell of a lot away. May go back to getting deliverys.


[edit] just re-read the thread. the postcard we had was from Big Barn

 

[Gramaisc]

I had a postcard through the door last night but it's been binned and I can't remember the name of it. Was a franchise in Stafford of a larger company.

Had a quick look last night and they were supplying produce from Cumbria, Derbyshire and Europe. Didn't seem quite the "local produce" they claimed although the Organic claim would stand up I guess.

Sounds like it may the the same as the one I had last week. They operated from Wigan, I think..

 

[Theorum]

Another fine dollar for the wall-mart Industrial Food Producing Machine!!!!!!!

 

[Scoot Doggy Dogg]

I had a couple of baskets from a mate of a mate a couple of summers ago. £15-20 a basket and will put "bespoke" lots together

I'll look for his email. He doesn't produce anything until Spring/ May time but it's all picked and delivered within half hour and v. good value... spuds, carrotts (the early ones are stupidly sweet), broc, onions, herbs, toms, cucumbers, peppers

He even does Brussels and xmas veg. It's so organic it actually only gets produced in the seasons.

Have found the email address its: directfromsource@yahoo.co.uk . I sent him a quick mail and he tells me he's still going and has plenty lined up for the summer. He'll start delivering around May.

All veg is picked on the day of delivery. Talkin with the wife about this and we remember having baskets with pots, onions, a spiky Italian broc, squash, courgettes, lettuce, herbs, garlic, carrotts and even eggs

 

[Gramaisc]

A van has been parked on Sandon Road recently, with sign-writing that implies this sort of service. I think that it says something like "Mr B", and has a mobile number, but I can't track down anything online. I'll try to write down some details if I see it again.