Where to... Organic, Fairtrade, Free Range.

Having appreciated other people's link lists, especially those that live somewhat near where I am, I thought I would do one in return.  A few people have asked 'where do you get xyz' and I thought this could be a good way to put a list of links together that I can add to as new stuff is experienced.

Thing to remember is it's not often that you can tick ALL the boxes.  Ie it might be organic but it's not local, local and free range but not organic, organic but the packaging isn't ideal etc... and of course there's always the other factors of accessability, cost, convenience... so I guess it's that ol' balance thing.  Do it slowly and work out what works for you and be okay to change things up as you need to.

Also, there are a HEAP more places to get things - these are just the ones I have been to and bought from and been happy with and that come to mind right now.  I'll keep adding.

• Meat - Redtail Ridge - fantastic (seriously awesome) beef (they do lamb, chicken, olive oil, honey etc as well but I my choice is the beef).  Previous posts here and here on quality and great customer service.  You can taste the difference.  Bulk order means you get a flat rate across the board - same price per kilo for mince and (very good) sausages right through to scotch fillet, rump and so on.  For example, it might be $15/kg for all your beef.  That means yes you pay $15/kg for excellent organic mince and sausages but you also pay $15/kg for scotch fillet, roast, rump, etc... pretty good I think especially when you think what the price per kilo is for reasonable (non organic) mince in the shop and then the price of rump and scotch etc
• Real Food Co-op - I have so far only done my fruit and veg with them (and was very happy with it) but they also do pantry staples, dish liquid, powder etc and they deliver/courier or you can pickup.  Sign up for a yearly membership and then orders are done fortnightly, with the order list options being released a few days before. Choose between organic or non-organic.  You can also find them on Facebook.
• Bulk - Springer Foods - organic flour 25kg bags + a heap of other stuff.  You do have to pick and choose as they are not an 'organic' place and supply to the general good industry.  However, bulk organic flour, WA made, is hard to come by so I get that and our other (mostly not organic but I'm working on it!) dry goods in bulk from them.
• Chocolate - Fairtrade/Organic Chocolate - Cadbury Dairy Milk Fairtrade (not all Cadbury varieties are Fairtrade), Green & Blacks (owned by Cadbury, I believe) Fairtrade organic available in Woolworths, Coles and an excellent range (above what WW and C offer) at Mr Fresh Carine.
• Barambah organic blueberry yoghurt - they have other varieties but I am hooked on this one!
• Grocery - Mr Fresh - good range of organic 'grocery' items ie coffee, most of the Green & Blacks chocolate range, cereals, coffees and tea etc  The little Carine Glades shopping centre also has a bakery that sells good sourdough bread (New Norcia and other) and a good little Health Food Shop.  The butcher there uses all their own-grown veg in their products.  The butcher looks fantastic and though I am yet to try it, I hope to soon enough!
• Milk (in glass) - see the previous posts here and here.  It's not just about us (plastic v glass, homogenised or not, organic or not) but about the animals too - the cows and their calves, especially if the calves are boys...
• Milk (organic) - IGA Nollamara sell Margaret River Organic milk in plastic and another brand I can't think of at the moment.
• Moo Goo strawberry lip balm - 'The Vitamin Outlet' at Stirling Central sells it and a good range of 'health food store' stuff.
• Biome - just a great place to find 'stuff' that's eco friendly and people friendly!
• Vege Spread (instead of Vegemite and the kids now prefer it, available generally), Anathoth jam (available Woolworths). 
• Organic Lollipops - Organic on Charles and most health food shops.
• Gaia soothing cream - great for bites, blemishes on the face etc. Available chemists, health food shops and sometimes in Woolworths.
• Organic Care shampoo and conditioners (including a dandruff one and a kids one) - available in Coles and Woolworths.  These are quite reasonably priced.
• Avalon Organics shampoo and conditioners - available health food shops
• Ecostore soap, dishwashing liquid, bathroom soap on tap etc available Woolworths (and maybe elsewhere).
• Drink bottles - Klean Kanteen especially the ones with the stainless screw cap - no plastic touches the water and you can taste the difference.
• lunchboxes - stainless steel, see my previous post with reviews, sizes and links here, here and here.
• Tea and Coffee - Nature's Cuppa Fairtrade organic tea and Nature's Cuppa Fairtrade organic coffee.  That's the instant one and I'm told it tastes quite good.  Plunger stuff we used to get another Fairtrade/organic one but haven't done the plunger thing for a while and I don't have a whiz bang machine so no idea on those... though I can't imagine that the 'caps' ones are very eco anything..?
• stainless steel cups by Ecococoon.  Have heard of troubles with the painted ones - paint peeling, so we have all stainless silver.  Anyway, they replaced all of our plastic drinking cups.

Then there's the 'drool' list - things I'd like to try but haven't yet/won't be for a while for various reasons!

• PlanetBox lunchboxes.  Check out the link and the video on their site.  Nuff said!
• Solar Oven see the video demo here.
• Cargobike or a Babboe with lid (not sure, can't decide - irrelevant anyway because the dream is as yet unfunded!).

We are definitely not completely organic/homemade household, far from it...  it's just trying to find that 'balance' that works on any one week or month.  It's also just a slow and mindful process of gradually finding the 'better' thing to exchange for the current thing.

That will do for the list for now, updates as I find 'em!  oh and PS... if you haven't donated blood in a while and if you're able to, please do book an appointment and share some of your good stuff for those who need it.

Real Foods Co-op - First Order

It's been a while between blog posts.  Things have gotten busy(ier).  I popped on to share this: Thanks to Bruise Mouse over at Living a Little Greener, I was put onto the Real Food Co-op.  I received my first order Friday and am very pleased.  End of the week, work and collecting children etc and home and here is all this wonderful fresh stuff.  If you're looking for a good value Co-op I definitely suggest checking these guys out.

This is what my order consisted of.  These are the BIG boxes - the long ones.  At least twice the length of a standard tomato box.  One box is a friend's (she ordered with me and we shared the courier cost) but the rest are ours. 

 Oh and not in the picture are these, below.  The apples and the yoghurt.  I've not tried this yoghurt before, usually buying the Barambah blueberry organic yoghurt - which is a real taste - a different taste to 'usual' yoghurt but a taste I now prefer... so I will be keen to see if this one takes to my tastebuds just as well.

8kg apples waiting...

Needless to say, I have been, and will be, busy - bulk making, baking, organising and meal planning to make the most of the fresh ingredients.

There is a 'pantry staples' order run, as well as the f&v.  The f&v includes dairy products and milk, as well as fruit and veg (your choice of organic or not) and in my lot this time I got 4kg of strawberries.  yum.  The pantry staples order I've yet to do, but they do also offer things like eco dishwasher powder, biodegradable cling wrap etc.

So between Real Foods, Springer Foods (for my 24kg organic flour, 20kg golden syrup etc) and a Woolworths order, and perhaps the occasional trip to Mr Fresh for the Barambah yoghurt, and the Sunnydale and Bannister Downs milk in glass, I think I could be quite set for efficient, aware and more enjoyable grocery purchases.

Thanks again to BM for putting me on to the Real Food Co-op.  Up next, the results of the 'jam making session'..!

Redtail Ridge Organic Bulk Meat

I posted on EB a while back, asking about bulk meat orders and what people had and hadn't had success with. I checked out some websites, read a few different reviews and decided the only way to know, was to try it. So couple of weeks ago, after some good recommendations, we put in a bulk (certified) organic beef order from Redtail Ridge.

image used with permission and thanks

We have not been disappointed. A cheerful Robyn arrived promptly, in a professional looking and well presented 'cold' van with the meat in boxes - well packed, individually labelled and portioned into 2-3 person serves... and the proof was in the eating. ~The meat is beautiful~.