Basket Breakdown 6/23/12

This is a week that I wish I would have contributed for two baskets!  I absolutely love everything in here, especially the cherries and blueberries.

Before I do the breakdown, I want to explain a little bit about how the process of sorting the produce works.  Everything is sorted into two baskets for each participant.  We are told how much of each item goes into each basket.  For example, we were supposed to put two tomatoes, eight bananas, one head of lettuce, etc.  Once the correct amount is put in, there is usually a few leftover, called the “case-ends”.  Once the appropriate number of each item has been placed in each basket, each volunteer that came to help gets to pick an extra item to take home.  Once the volunteers have all picked their items, the remaining case-ends are distributed as evenly as possible among the baskets.  That is the reason why you see a couple of loose potatoes in my picture, as well as three tomatoes instead of the two that was prescribed. 

Also, according to the Bountiful Baskets Facebook page, the potatoes this week either came from Rexburg, Idaho or our very own Monte Vista, Colorado!  I was confused, though, when our package of potatoes didn’t say either Idaho or Colorado, and instead said Houston, Texas.  It did say “Colorado Utility”, so I had a hunch that they were at least from Colorado.  I did some asking around and discovered that those are indeed Mountain King potatoes, which means they were grown here!  I think it is fantastic that we have only had three drops at our sites in the Valley and Bountiful Baskets is already supporting our community. 

Here is how it compares with the local Walmart.

Potatoes – 5 lb bag = $2.47
Potatoes- bulk pricing – 1 lb 7 oz – $0.88/lb = $1.26
Yellow Onions – 2 lb 3 oz – $0.98/lb = $2.14
Celery – 1 bunch = $1.48
Romaine lettuce – 2 heads – $1.58 each =  $3.16
Tomatoes – 1 lb 10 oz – $2.24/lb = $3.64
Nectarines – 2 lb 3 oz – $2.48/lb = $5.42
Bananas – 2 lb 15 oz – $0.52/lb = $1.52
Cherries – 2 lb – $2.98/lb = $5.96
Autalfo Mangos – 6 – $0.38 each = $2.28
Blueberries – 6 oz = $1.50

Grand Total: $30.83
Contribution: $15 + $1.50 processing fee = $16.50
Savings: $14.33

This big guy was in my basket today.

I think it loves me.