Market Basket Madness

Delicious and made from local veg and dairy

This whole fiasco with Market Basket grocery stores being virtually shut down for more than a month has taught me to be very thankful for my garden, my pantry, and the farmer's market. When the whole thing first started I was concerned because my first thought was, "It is going to cost us so much more for basic food stuffs and things are already tight." But as the feud between the Demoulas cousins continued and we had to be more creative about where, what and how much we bought (because shopping at Shaw's or Hannaford was not an option I would take), I became very thankful for the wide variety of things my husband planted in the garden. I'm even thankful for the kolrabi and okra. They provide variety. We even started looking at the things that often get tossed on the compost pile, such as cauliflower leaves, as greens that can be steamed or put into soups. Our diet actually got more varied, interesting and probably more healthy. Particularly because we know that our garden is pesticide and chemical fertilizer free.

For the other things we need such as flour, rice, butter, milk and fruit we go to, the farmer's market, Nature's Way or  Fiddlehead Farms Market, or to the natural food store. To be completely honest I'm finding not fighting the crowds in the grocery store very refreshing. I also find that I meet more people and have actual pleasant social interactions in the smaller shops. Shopping this way feeds my mind and soul as well as my body. Because of this, and because it is one of our personal goals to support local businesses, we had already greatly reduced our reliance on Market Basket and my initial worry was really unfounded. We probably spent a little more on butter, milk and flour. But other than that I would say there were no great added expenses. 

Now that the crisis is over and the shelves are filling up again, we are taking stock of things and deciding if it makes sense to shop at the chain grocery store or if it makes more sense to continue to spread our patronage among smaller local businesses.  We are also thinking about steps that we can take to become even more self reliant. This was a minor blip. It's summer and we have our garden, our pantry was well stocked and after all, there are many other stores. If we really had to get something, we could. But what if....? What if this crisis was caused by war or disease-quarantine, or some other natural disaster that prevented supplies from getting delivered to our area at all, or kept us from getting out? What if it was winter and a blizzard? There would be no garden then. At that point I would be glad for summer's bounty that we had put away in canning jars and the freezer.  I'm not a paranoid person who thinks that you need to keep your basement stocked with 3 years worth of canned goods. But I do think it makes some sense to consider how we can make our lives a little less dependent upon the vagaries of the markets and the whims of the elite. I believe that having the ability to take care of your own basic needs, particularly food and water, is a wise investment in your time and money. 

People in our area are very fortunate. We don't always stop and think about these things. We have rarely seen shortages of food and other essentials of life that are more common in cities and in poorer nations. Shortages that can lead to deprivation, unrest and even violence. 

So I'm glad this little skirmish has ended, and I'm glad that it has made me think more deeply and in different ways about the issues of food supply, shortage, poverty and many other things that are tied up in taking care, not only of ourselves, but of others. For our part, we are planning to take a trip to our local Market Basket this weekend to purchase some food for the local food pantry. After that we'll see. I think likely we will still go there occasionally to stock up on butter, flour and sugar, but for the most part, it will not be our primary source of groceries. I think we will also double our canning and freezing efforts, taking advantage of all the resources that nature supplies during the summer, from the wild, from our own garden and from the gardens of local farmers who serve our community so well.