Where to Source Whole Foods

Here at Whole Food Sourcing, you'll find many resources that will help you source whole foods no matter where you live. But for now, let's go over some possible sources available to you:

Buying Direct From Farmers

In some areas, you may be able to find farmers that are willing to sell you certain food items in bulk. This will depend on what farmers in your area specialize in and what your food needs are. But generally speaking, you can find farmers in your area, through an internet search at Local Harvest.

Local Harvest has many resources, including a great listing here of community supported agriculture (CSA) member farms or you can search by category here. Or to learn more about CSA programs, click here. 

Another way to locate these farmers is to ask at farmers markets. Which brings me to the next source of whole foods.

Farmer's Markets

You can find farmer's markets almost everywhere, the list is growing, and many farmer's markets are now year-round. Here at Whole Food Sourcing, you'll find resources to help you locate farmer's markets no matter where you live in either the United States or Canada. To access the farmer's market search resources, click here.

Food Buying Clubs

These are grass-root organizations of consumers who band together to make large, bulk purchases from food distributors. Doing so enables food buying clubs to cut out the middleman--the stores where food products are normally sold--and therefore cut the cost of the food.

It takes quite a lot of time and energy to start and run a food buying club. But the rewards may be well worth the effort.

The variations in food buying clubs are extensive. In order to bring you the best information on them as a whole food resource, I'm currently researching the subject in detail. Soon, I'll be including that research here at Whole Food Sourcing.

Urban Farms

If there is an urban farming organization in your area, you may be able to buy food items directly from them. Another prossibility is trading your time in helping on the farm for fresh food products.

Community Gardens

This is slightly different from urban farming in that the main goal is growing food by and for the community members, not to sell to others. So this option would require your time and effort to grow your own food, but in a community rather than by yourself.

Growing/Raising Your Own

This is very similar to community gardening, except that you're doing it completely on your own with whatever space and resources you have personally available. Space can be very limited and still produce a significant amount of food. So don't let your current limitations hold you back. More on small-scale personal gardening coming soon to Whole Food Sourcing.

Organic Box Delivery

This is a service in which a company provides you with organic produce and delivers it right to your door.

There are literally hundreds of local organic box delivery businesses. I'm currently researching the biggest and best. Soon I'll be including my research results here at Whole Food Sourcing. If you just can't wait, search "organic box delivery" on Google, and include your city or town name in your search.

Your Local Grocery Store

Don't overlook the obvious. There are still many wonderful whole foods available at your usual store. They may be more expensive than sourcing them the other ways I've listed here, but you can use your local store until you build up other local sources of whole foods that work for you.

Now what do you think? Where do you source your whole foods?