Category — Money Saving Tips

 I spent last Saturday shopping for food. Started at the Redwood City Farmer’s Market, then Sigona’s, a local market in Redwood City and then Trader Joe’s. I later went to Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco.

The verdict? Sigona’s is one of the best markets on the Peninsula if you are looking for great value on local, organic produce. For less than $60, we got over 15 vegetables and fruits, mostly organic, mostly local, plus organic Rocky chicken (much better quality than the Trader Joe’s organic chicken) plus Strauss nonfat milk. Organic bell peppers at less than $2/lb. This was way cheaper than even conventional prices at the Redwood City farmer’s market. No crowds in the store. Friendly staff. I think the prices at Sigona’s Redwood City location is way cheaper than the one at Stanford Shopping Center. Checkout Sigona’s sometime if you’re looking for a good market on the Penisula.

The Consumer Reports started a green guide to products a couple years ago. I like them because they are a nonprofit with unbiased information and careful studies. Some of the products they review include:

• Electronic products like air conditioners, dishwashers, vacuum cleaners
• Cars like hybrids or those with lower mpg
• Food like organic baby food, meat and water
• And many more useful green tips

So I finally made it to the de Young Museum in San Francisco today. I had tried to go before during the first weekend it opened and its anniversary when they had free admission, but could never get in. The first Tuesday of each month is free admission to the de Young Museum, and almost all the other major museums in San Francisco, such as the MOMA.

I was really excited to go in the museum, especially since today was free, as the first Tuesday of May. My friend Doris and I went straight to the observation deck (see photos above) and the views were amazing! I could see downtown San Francisco, to the Golden Gate Bridge to UCSF to Ocean Beach.

We then walked around several American art exhibits and grabbed a quick bite at the de Young Cafe. Inside, they had a nice eating area, with modern design and local, organic food. I spotted yogurt from Straus Creamery, Niman Ranch meat, and local, organic farm produce. I ordered an asparagus, mushroom risotto, and my friend had a vegetarian sandwich with grilled eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and hummus on foccacia bread. To be honest, my risotto was a bit hard to eat and I wish the rice was cooked softer. I noticed that the cafe sold local organic bear ale, something I’ve never seen at a museum cafe before! We ended our tour with more exhibits, and a special showing of Vivian Westwood’s fashion designs. Definitely check this place out!

What happens when you mix the founder of Burning Man, the founder of Odwalla, scientists, techies, organic farmers and JP Morgan as a sponsor? You get Digital Be-In: an artsy event with speakers, organic food and a party. Over 10 speakers came, with booths, drinks, and later a big party. It was definitely an eclectic mix; I couldn’t see that well in the dark, but about 200 people came to hear the speakers, and more were entering. Urth.tv did a live broadcast of the event on the internet. Here were some interesting things I saw:

• The first public unveiling of Wiser Earth, a nonprofit social networking site focused on activism and issues, very similar to Care2.com. It already has a community going and active membership.

• Urban Alliance for Sustainability, a nonprofit that focuses on environmental sustainability and building communities, was selling the Green Zebra, SF based coupon book. I took a look inside the book, and it was full of coupons from green businesses like natural food, yoga, spas, and travel. Here’s an example of a coupon inside from one of my favorite places to shop for groceries:

I bought the book for $25, and I know that I’ll already use several coupons inside that payoff the initial fee. If you’re in San Francisco or go often, I recommend buying this. But if you live outside of the city or don’t come often to the city, it won’t be worth it for you.

Other interesting talks included Autodesk’s sustainability design consulting, a group that helps design large scale things like buildings and PAX Scientific, a green research and development tech group.

To be honest, I’m not sure whether I’d go next year, I think the Green Festival and other conferences are a little more organized, but this is definitely a good attempt to get more people in the Bay Area aware of environmental issues by making it fun.

I just got back from Africa, and am recovering from travel sickness. But am feeling almost back to normal enough to post these events! Check out free cooking demonstrations and information straight from farmers at the Ferry Building in San Francisco, sponsored by CUESA. All events take place in the Dacor teaching kitchen in the arcade north of the Ferry Building’s clock tower.

• Saturday, March 17 ~ Market to Table events
  10:30 am - Meet the farmer Maria Catalan of Catalan Farms
  11:00 am - Cooking demonstration & book signing Ann Cooper, Renegade Lunch Lady and author of Lunch Lessons* Books for sale courtesy of Book Passage

• Saturday, March 24 ~ Market to Table events
  10:30 am - Meet the farmer Roscoe Zuckerman of Zuckerman’s Farm
  11:00 am - Cooking demonstration & book signing Charles Vollmar of Epicurean Exchange

I had a friend, Justin, forward me this article from today’s Wall Street Journal on buying organic food. It’s very similar to what I have read in the past from Consumer Reports and other consumer groups. Below is a set of buying guidelines the article recommends.

To buy…

• Apples, peaches, bell peppers, strawberries, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, potatoes, carrots:
• Conventional versions have higher levels of pesticides than other produce, although still well within safe limits.
• Milk and dairy products: Free of the growth hormones that are given to conventionally raised cows.
• Meat and poultry: Free of growth hormones and antibiotics. Baby food: Free of pesticide residues found in vegetables and fruits.…
• and foods you eat a lot of.

Or not to buy…

• Broccoli, bananas, frozen sweet peas, frozen corn, asparagus, avocados, onions: Levels of pesticides are low even in conventional versions of these.
• Seafood: No USDA organic certification yet exists for seafood. Even seafood raised in the wild can contain mercury, PCBS and other contaminants.
• Some processed foods such as breads, chips, pasta, oils: They often do have whole grains or other healthful ingredients, but processed foods may also contain non-organic ingredients, and processing in general removes many nutrients
• and foods you eat only occasionally.

Source: When Buying Organic MakesSense — and When It Doesn’t, BETSY MCKAY, January 16, 2007

Here are some tips from the Organic Trade Association on New Year’s resolutions:

1. Get off to a clean start: Take a shower with soaps and shampoos made with organic ingredients. Then, serve someone special an organic breakfast in bed with certified organic juice, coffee, fresh fruit, cereal, yogurt and eggs. (All items available nationally at natural & conventional supermarkets.)
2. Create a celebratory meal that’s as close to 100% organic as possible. Invite friends and family to enjoy and help cook. It can be an organic picnic, pizza party, barbecue or high tea!
3. Volunteer or make a donation to support organic gardening programs in your community, through schools, social service agencies, etc.
4. Building healthy soil is a key tenet of organic farming. A great way to guarantee rich, organic soil is to start composting! City dwellers can compost at your neighborhood community garden. Contact your local library or Cooperative Extension office for composting information.
5. Be a big “softie” and treat yourself (or someone special) to a pair of 100% organic cotton socks or anything made with snuggly organic fleece. Studies have shown that in the U.S., it takes about one-third of a pound of chemicals to grow enough non-organic cotton for one T-shirt.
6. Treat yourself to organic indulgences: Nibble on an organic chocolate bar, lick an organic ice cream or frozen yogurt bar, or scoop up succulent organic sorbet. Fill your candy jar at home with organic snacks or cookies.
7. Bring an organic treat to the office to share with co-workers or to send with your children to school. Certified organic raisins, cheese, nuts, fruits, chips and crackers are just some of the possibilities.
8. Remember your Pooch! Give your furry friend an organic dog wash and treat him or her to an organic doggie biscuit.
9. Raise a toast to organic! Whether you enjoy a glass of organic wine, lemonade or tomato juice, there are numerous organic libations and refreshments to wet your whistle.
10. Slumber soundly and organically: sip organic chamomile tea and slip under your organic cotton sheets.

I came across an interesting blog called SustainLane, which helps consumers find ways for sustainable living. This article features some tips on saving money on organic food including:

• Buy natural, not packaged foods–this means get things in its original form, not processed through a factory
• Buy straight from the source, buy local and buy seasonal–go direct to farmers via CSAs (community supported agriculture such as Capay Farm’s Farm Fresh to You) or farmer’s markets (try the Alemany Farmer’s Market in San Francisco), and find produce in season and from the Bay Area
• Prioritize which organic produce to buy–such as buying berries over fruits with harder skin
• Eat lower on the food chain–such as vegetables and grains