Target has now rolled back their DEI efforts, along with Walmart, Amazon and many other places people get their staples. I have not shopped at those places in years so I thought I would share where I get the every day groceries and essentials.
I have to admit that I am also very concerned about a possible food shortage. Many farm workers are not showing up to work in California, Florida and other states because they are afraid of being detained and deported. ICE raids have begun all over the country and people are justifiably scared. Bird flu is also ravaging poultry farms and has even shown up in milk. Millions of animals are being slaughtered to protect the spread. I have taken some steps just today to shore up my own reserves and sources and you can find more details on that below.
So, if you are interested in boycotting the millionaires rolling back DEI and supporting the orange regime, or if you are interested in diversifying your food chain, then this is for you. Please feel free to add your 2 cents in the comments and let me know if you found something helpful in all this.
Pantry, Paper & Toiletries
Grocery shopping is not a one-stop shop for me and over the years I have cobbled together a variety of sources that helps me put the best food on the table for the best price. My family is gluten-free due to allergies and intolerance, so dietary restrictions play a large part in where I shop. And the extreme fatigue I have from MS limits my energy expenditure and my ability to grow and make a lot of food myself.
For pantry staples, like our favorite gluten free pasta, Simple Mills crackers and lunchbox snacks, I have a recurring monthly order with Thrive Market. Thrive has all the same brands as Whole Foods, but at discounted prices. They do have an annual fee which covers my membership and one for a family that could not otherwise afford it. In addition to pantry staples I can also get most of our toiletries there (not Colgate but the alternative brands) as well as a large variety of frozen items. I bulk order Canyon Bakehouse gluten free bread to get free shipping and then store it in our basement freezer.
A friend asked me the other day where she could get contact solution that wasn’t Amazon and I suggested Walgreens. Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid or, when I was a kid it was Osco Drug, have always been the place to get that kind of stuff, but maybe we just collectively forgot? They may not be the most ethical companies but local pharmacies provide a huge public service and many low income communities do not have these stores anymore (so where do they get the prescriptions? hmm). Walgreens delivers by the way and I bet others do too.
Toilet paper and paper towels I get from my favorite potty-mouth eco-friendly company Who Gives A Crap. They have been delivering to me since before the pandemic and I always get a chuckle when their box shows up on the porch. Recently they have added recycled plastic garbage bags and poop bags, as well as the Swedish dishtowels that I use instead of sponges.
I also have a membership to Costco but I haven’t been in a while because it is very tiring for me, but since they are standing firm on DEI initiatives I will plan a trip soon. They have a surprising amount of healthy options there, including some of the brands we get at Thrive and Costco delivers some non-perishables so that is a great option. Nothing says “preparing for the armeggedon” like pushing a double wide shopping cart at Costco.
Perishables
I also get our meat delivered monthly. I have tried a variety of sources for grass fed and pasture raised proteins and I have been happily using Crowd Cow for the last few years. I find their prices to be incredibly good for the quality and they source from a large selection of small ethical farms and ranchers around the country. We love their old world pork kielbasa from Pederson’s Natural Farms and the heirloom chicken thighs from Mary’s Chicken. I just placed a jumbo order over my fears of food shortage and plan on storing most of it in out basement freezer.
For milk, eggs and other perishables we go to Trader Joe’s once a week. There is one in our town and I like that it is small, with quality stuff at decent prices. For example, the granola that we like is $3 cheaper there than Whole Foods. We love their mint chip ice cream and they have a great cauliflower crust frozen pizza (good gluten free pizza is so hard to find!). Their fruit and produce isn’t great but I can get apples, oranges, bananas and avocados. They did have massive supply shortages during the pandemic so I suspect that will be an issue there. As of Sunday their egg shelves were empty.
In season I go to the farmers market and as a result I know the names of several local farms that I can contact directly if need be.
There is a winter farmers market as well with a small selection, including eggs, so I will hit that up on Saturday morning.
I have had a CSA (community supported agriculture) share in the past at Sienna Farms in Sudbury, MA and I have just signed up again. They offer year round veggies and I actually love a lot of the winter root vegetables and lettuces they provide. They had a delivery option and a flexible delivery schedule so I chose that.
Finally, I do go to Whole Foods from time to time because its convenient but I cut way back when Bezos bought it.
Hopefully you can find something useful in my list. Let me know in the comments if you do!
mette more slowly 