After reading over countless NYT Cooking recipes, and watching too many Barefoot Contessa episodes to count from my dorm room, I decided I couldn’t just build my relationship with food by living through Ina Garten.
If you have ever met me, you probably know all I want is to buy local, visit the farmer’s market to buy food from small vendors, and meet the people who help produce what ends up on my plate. However, being a college student in New London in the middle of winter with time and money constraints, it’s difficult finding alternatives for sustainable, healthy living.
I did some research a couple months back when I heard about “Fiddleheads,” the New London food cooperative just down the street from campus. Fiddleheads began as an indoor farmer’s market for the winter around a decade ago, and has since turned into the grocery store it is today. It “specializes in local, organic, and natural products,” according to its website. Instead of a large grocery store like ShopRite, Fiddleheads is supported by over 3,000 community members who share the common goal of a more sustainable and locally-driven food network in southeastern Connecticut.
The produce is mostly organic, making it a little more expensive than your regular Stop & Shop. That being said, the slightly heftier price tag goes directly to local, family-owned farms. For instance, their watermelon radishes come straight from Salem, CT from the Provider Farm that grows their vegetables chemical-free on healthy soil. I am usually willing to pay more if it means buying products (food, clothes, radishes — you name it) as close to the source as possible, or at least with a better story than a major grocery chain attached to it. That being said, Fiddleheads has already won me over in that category.
I tend to stray from the packaged foods or frozen aisles, where Annie’s Organics and your common artisan companies are found. A small snack that looks like off-brand Goldfish might set you back $15, so tread with caution.
From my experience, the bulk section saves money because you are the one gauging how much of the product you need. During my last visit to Fiddleheads, the sliced almonds and halved pecans called my name because I was making homemade granola, and I was able to only get a small amount instead of buying a 12oz bag of pecans that I knew I would end up wasting. You can bring your own jars, although they also have paper bags you can write your product number right onto to limit waste production.
Fiddleheads is truly more than a grocery store, especially with their café that serves sandwiches and drinks made from the same food sold in the store itself. They also have free events every once in a while. For example, on Wednesday, March 25 they are introducing a workshop on “How to Eat Well on $4 a Day.” If you’re only looking to buy groceries, going to this food co-op is still an experience. Some of the employees are members of the cooperative themselves and are always down for a conversation on the ethics of buying groceries.
If you decide to give Fiddleheads a try, take pride in knowing you are supporting small businesses supporting community cooperation. Bring your reusable grocery bags while you’re at it! •
