This past week I was able to pick up 4 boxes of fresh produce that was headed for the dumpster.
After The Girl Who Thinks She’s a Bird and I sorted through all of the boxes, we ended up with yet another amazing haul of free fresh fruit and vegetables.
Can anyone tell me how much all of this produce would retail for at a local grocery store? It has been so long since I’ve shopped for fresh fruit and veggies, I have no idea what it would cost.
- 2.5 watermelons
- 1 honey dew melon
- 14 ears of corn
- 2 bags of lettuce
- 5 bananas
- 3 sweet peppers
- 2 pears
- 1 avocado
- 1 peach
- 3 pounds of grapes
- 34 tomatoes
- A ridiculous amount of strawberries
Take a look at all the loot the chickens scored.
Not to shabby if you ask me.
So far we have make a round of strawberry banana smoothies, dehydrated tomatoes, snacked on watermelon and even ate burgers with all the trimming.
Holy cow! I hope we can eat all this free produce before we pick up the next round of boxes.
So Mavis want’s to know…
Have you tried asking your local grocery store, produce stand, or farm for their scraps? Have you had success? Been turned down? Do you have any tips for others?
To see what else I’ve brought home over the past few months? Check out the stories below.
Looking for a way to store your extra produce? In Progressive International’s lettuce keeper, fruit, lettuce, and vegetables stay fresher longer for up to 2 weeks. The special design lets you wash and store all in one since the container doubles as a colander. A water reservoir in the base keeps produce moist, and adjustable venting regulates air circulation and moisture.
Has anyone tried one of these? Amazon currently has the lettuce keeper on sale for $13.98 and the reviews are crazy good.
Heather S. says
I’ve tried a few stores, but have only gotten that it already goes to farmers… yay for you, though! And I would guess that you have almost $40 worth of produce there… 🙂
Lee says
I would say it would have cost between $55-60.
Michelle says
I was going to guess between $45 and $50…and you’re getting that WEEKLY!! Amazing.
(I still haven’t talked to my produce guy…but I will, I will.)
Kay says
I asked one store so far, and they said that they sell the slightly wilted stuff in ‘sale’ bags for $1 each. I buy those alot – but not quite what I wanted! 🙂
Saralie says
Same here, they say they are not allowed to give food away. The headquarters are in Toronto, and the city folks do not understand that animals are quite content with less than perfect produce. So I do my produce shopping on the bargain racks, until I can shop in my garden full-time.
Jenn says
Wow! Here’s my guess for normal “sale” prices:
2.5 watermelons $4 each = $10
1 honey dew melon $3
14 ears of corn $5
2 bags of lettuce $4
5 bananas $1
3 sweet peppers $3
2 pears $1
1 avocado $1.50
1 peach $0.50
3 pounds of grapes $9
34 tomatoes $25-35 depending on sale
A ridiculous amount of strawberries (what is that… like 10lbs?) They’re normally $4/lb but on sale for $1.99 here. So another $20 for those at least!
Total here in San Jose, CA would be about $100 🙂 Go mavis!
Mavis says
Wowza! Thanks Jenn.
Paul says
Hi Mavis,
This is the first comment I’ve ever left on your blog. I have been looking for something to keep my lettuce fresh for so long that, when I saw the lettuce keeper at the bottom of this post, I clicked over to Amazon and ordered one straight away. I just wanted to let everyone else know that it IS eligible for free two day shipping with Amazon Prime, and I’ll be seeing mine on Thursday. I’ll let you know.
Lissa says
I often find it fun to calculate out “street value” of my produce too! Especially on weeks where you get a bunch of something that you KNOW is pricey in the stores! (Like last week when I got about $18 worth of Rainier cherries) 9Considering SALE prices I’ve seen in stores lately, Jenn hit the nail on the head….and that’s JUST for the produce you kept aside for the family. I bet there was plenty more edible in the boxes for the chickens.
This week was a little quieter for me, but I got some celery, which I was completely out of (I know, celery is dirt cheap anyways, but FREE is better!)
Week #9
3 heads green leaf lettuce
10 ears corn
3 tomatoes
2lbs strawberries
1.5lbs grapes
one bunch lacinato kale
~1 bunch celery
2 pears
1 peach
1 mushroom
1 plum
1/2 zucchini
Desi says
Wow, I would bet $60. I bought a ton of produce today and that’s about what it cost. I got a box of scraps today for the first time in two weeks. It had one lonely lemon and a bunch of watermelon scraps. I like the lemon and the chickens love the watermelon.
Mamalala says
Those produce keepers rock. I have that same one. Strawberries keep at least two weeks. Herbs forever. I am buying more to. I love the ethylene egg on amazon for produce drawers.