Instead of buying cereals, which according to Blanchard are expensive, or boxes of rice, buy in bulk.
It's also possible to eat locally and "not spend a fortune," according to Blanchard.
The ultimate way to eat locally and save, she said, is to plant a garden.
"It's a lot cheaper. A packet of seeds doesn't cost much, and it's so rewarding to eat your own food," said Blanchard.
No backyard for a garden? No problem.
"If people don't have a backyard that they can grow in then they could get a plot from community gardens," said Blanchard.
There are seven community garden sites throughout Schenectady County. Through a program called Capital District Community Gardens, for a suggested seasonal donation of $15, anyone can have a plot of land. If someone can't afford the donation, Capital District Community Gardens is willing to work something out.
"We're a not-for-profit organization, and we build and manage neighborhood food gardens," said Amy Klein, executive director of Capital District Community Gardens. "We have 46 locations in the tri-county area, and we serve about 3,000 people in those locations."
Klein said they provide everything one needs to grow their own food.
"Even a novice gardener would be able to grow food for their family and harvest successfully," said Klein.
Besides a sense of satisfaction, she said, the savings that comes along with growing one's own food makes the labor worth it.
"We estimate that a gardener can grow about $1,500 worth of fresh produce on their plot in a season," said Klein.
For information on the Capital District Community Gardens visit www.cdcg.org.""
Prev Next
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID