High grocery costs have many seeking alternative options
Many families are sourcing their produce from local farms to combat rising prices at the store
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The lunchtime rush is on at Native Son Farm.
“We incorporated what we grow here on the farm into a kitchen, so we have a grab-and-go section, veggie burger wraps,” said Antonia Hankins, owner of Native Son Farm.
Native Son Farm started 17 years ago as a provider of local, certified naturally grown, chemical-free produce and products. Currently, more than 300 people are part of the community-supported agriculture program.
“You come by once a week, or bi-weekly, and you pick up everything we harvested the day of or the day before,” Hankins said.
And with the rise in grocery prices, it is budget-friendly.
“If you go a commercial, box store, you will pay more for organic produce and it’s more likely not local,” she said.
Eating organic, locally grown produce is great and with a little bit of knowledge, you don’t have to sacrifice taste, when cooking.
“Nobody wants to get a carrot and eat a carrot all day, but there are ways to cook that carrot to make it really good, there’s a way to cook food to taste really good and to make you feel so much better,” said Julie Gibens, who is a certified functional nutrition coach. She holds classes on how to make healthy choices. She cooks large quantities in a crock pot or InstaPot and freezes the leftovers in small portions.
She also encourages people to look at the ingredients in the foods they buy.
