That's Fit

Not every piece of food in my fridge and pantry is organic, but I do try to buy as much as I can, especially of the foods we frequently eat. So imagine my surprise when I reached for my favorite brand of organic bread last week, only to discover it had nearly doubled in price. Almost always on sale for 2/$5.00, it was now $4.69 a loaf! Nearly $10 for our usual two loaves of bread a week? Not a chance.

Food prices are on the rise and with them go the cost of organics as well. As demand rises, farmers and manufacturers are having to pay more for things like animal feed and grains. Costs passed on to consumers have caused prices to jump anywhere from five to 30 percent. Organics are already 20 to 100 percent more expensive than conventional foods, so at what point will consumers quit buying?

You can save on organic foods by cutting out the middle man (the grocery store). By doing a CSA this summer, for instance, we'll be spending just $18 per week on enough organic, locally grown produce to feed our family of four. But sourcing meat and dairy can be significantly more difficult. How will you handle the rising prices of organic foods? Will you stop buying them or bite the bullet and hope that prices come down?