help with decision (re: organic meat co-op)

[RollerCoasterMama]

This is a rookie question. I was doing well on the TF path until last summer...then things went kaplewy for a while and I was in coping mode. Even when I was doing good I never really got into fully organic because of the price and I didn't really buy into it. I've changed my mind in that department!! (Not so coincidently I saw Food Inc and having the visuals to back up what I've read all along really made a difference. I may never look at the grocery store the same again!!)

Even before I saw the film, I've been switching to more and more organic as I can afford it. But not the meats. The price has been off-putting. (And cooking for 1+picky 3 yr old = not so fun so I've been wussing out a lot for convenience food.)

Anyway, I was looking through the CSA listings again and I finally found a couple that do drop-offs on my side of the metro! And they're not mid-afternoon on a week-day. There are a couple of veggie ones that look pretty typical. But the one I wanted to ask about was the meat one. It's year round. Monthly drop-offs. Full and half shares. The half share comes to $50/month and has:

1 whole frozen chicken
1 dozen eggs
2 lbs. of lean ground beef
3 lbs. of a variety of meats (beef & pork)
(roasts, steaks, stew cuts, kabobs, fajita meat, bacon, sausage, ham, etc.)

Question #1:
I'm hoping to keep our groceries to about $200/mo total. This might not be the drop-dead cheapest way to go, but it seems fairly reasonable---I may need to get an extra dozen eggs but we can get organic eggs for $3.50 at the store. With a meatless night once or twice a week and soup using the carcass for stock and plenty of leftover nights, does this seem like it would feed me + a picky eater?

Question #2:
This seems pretty reasonable---esp with the prices I've seen for straight from the farm meat and eggs. Farmers market rates around here are pretty high for animal products (not that I grudge them what it costs to raise the animals). My thing is that at those rates, I can't make organic, grass-fed meats part of our regular diet. But at this rate, it seems like I could. And I could do it without needing to devote a deep-freeze to a whole side of beef/pork. Does it seem like a good deal from those of you who have been doing this longer?

If I can do this and swing a good veggie CSA (putting up a fair amount of the produce for off season), then all I'd need to worry about is dairy. I already get the organic dairy stuff at the store and for the moment that seems to be the best, most realistic option.

As a WOHM full time, single parent, I just don't have a lot of time to devote to kitchen time. I only barely keep up with the house as it is!! So I'm trying to figure out how to stream-line and find a rhythm with some variety.

Opinions from the experts??? Tips? 5 min recipes?

[cristeen]

To question #2, yes it seems reasonable to me. I can't get 5# of meat plus a whole chicken for $50, even if all I'm buying is ground beef. Ground beef is $7/lb here, eggs are $6/doz.

As for whether or not that's enough meat to get you through a month... it wouldn't be for us... in fact, that would only get us through a week (2 adults). But it could be, depending on what types of dishes you're making.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by cristeen

To question #2, yes it seems reasonable to me. I can't get 5# of meat plus a whole chicken for $50, even if all I'm buying is ground beef. Ground beef is $7/lb here, eggs are $6/doz.

As for whether or not that's enough meat to get you through a month... it wouldn't be for us... in fact, that would only get us through a week (2 adults). But it could be, depending on what types of dishes you're making.

Thanks for the input! Truth is, I don't know what types of dishes I'll be making. Chicken usually turns into a meal and then broth plus soup or pot-pie. (Really I could use 2 per month easily.) The rest, I don't know...I've been just winging it for so long. I'm a fan of crock-pot roasts. Once upon a time before I got married almost 10 years ago, I used to do stir-fry and curries. I'm really starting over 100%. I've been married to a meat and potatoes, no strange veggies please, kind of man for so long, that I sort of forgot how to cook any other way. I really am starting over completely and I'm going to relearn how to cook.

The nice thing is that they do 3 and 6 month commitments, so I suppose I could just try 3 months and see if that works. The full share is probably a bit too much and the 1/2 a bit too little---but I'm planning on a couple of veggie nights and soup nights. Worst case...I up it to a full share, end up with extra in the freezer and don't need to re-up for an extra month or two.

One of these days, DS will start to eat (he's 3) and I'll have to adjust again. :P I suspect that once he starts, it won't slow down until he leaves for college!

[Magelet]

#1. Personally, I'd say it's PLENTY. That would comfortably feed us for a month (two adult hearty eaters) however, we are very conciencious about how much meat we eat, because it is so expensive. I'd say we eat 2 whole chickens, and 2-3 pounds of ground and stew meat a month. however we could definitely get by on that, and do so well. (with the ground, we stretch it, so it's more likely chili than hamburgers, etc).

#2. If that's pastured/grass-fed meat, it's amazing prices. eggs are 6-8 dollars a dozen, ground beef 6 dollars a pound, chickens 25 dollars a pastured chicken. if it's organic not grassfed/pastured, I have no clue, since I haven't really bought much of it. It still sounds pretty good.

[RollerCoasterMama]

Originally Posted by Magelet

#1. Personally, I'd say it's PLENTY. That would comfortably feed us for a month (two adult hearty eaters) however, we are very conciencious about how much meat we eat, because it is so expensive. I'd say we eat 2 whole chickens, and 2-3 pounds of ground and stew meat a month. however we could definitely get by on that, and do so well. (with the ground, we stretch it, so it's more likely chili than hamburgers, etc).

#2. If that's pastured/grass-fed meat, it's amazing prices. eggs are 6-8 dollars a dozen, ground beef 6 dollars a pound, chickens 25 dollars a pastured chicken. if it's organic not grassfed/pastured, I have no clue, since I haven't really bought much of it. It still sounds pretty good.

Thanks! Good to know! And it is pastured! http://www.sunshineharvestfarm.com/Home_Page.html
When I compared it to what I saw at the farmers market and various farms around, it seems really decent! And heck, when living with STBX we spent that and then some on regular meat at the grocery shop. But he ate more than me. Eggs around here seem to have gotten cheaper with more organic available in the shops. I remember $6-8 dozen last year when I looked, and now I'm seeing $3.50 to match the grocery stores on more than one farm. Chickens were $12 last summer I think. $25 = ouch!! Beef sounds about the same. It seems like living where there is a fair amount of competition from lots of CSAs and co-ops, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and the regular groceries stores are getting the prices to something affordable. OR...could be they're getting enough business to afford to bring prices down a bit. Either way, it's interesting to see the difference.