Sunday, January 30, 2011

Visit to Soergel's Orchard Family Farm Market

A few people have told me that Soergel Orchard Family Farm Market in Wexford has better prices on fruit and veggies than Giant Eagle. This morning I drove there to see for myself.

The market is one of several redwood framed buildings on a mini campus on Soergels' orchard and farm right off 279 at the Wexford exit. The produce section was small but had a nice selection. I liked the signs with each item's origin.
I picked up some locally grown tomatoes (from Indiana), apples from Soegel's orchard, honey belles on sale, and some other fruits and veggies.
Maybe it's because it's dead winter and prices are lower in summer, but prices varied from slightly to drastically above Giant Eagle's (I won't even mention Trader Joe's). I got collard greens for $1.79, $.20 more than GE's $1.59. I thought I was getting a bargain for a large container of mushrooms for $2.59....until I went to GE afterward and saw them on sale for $1!

Still, it's nice to support a locally owned business and farm, and everyone there was super nice. And it was cute and had a nice vibe to it. In addition to produce they had homemade jams, pasta sauces, soup mixes--that sort of thing. They also had a bakery and deli that I didn't go through.

Next I went to the Naturally Soegel's building. One of the Soergel's has celiac disease and wanted to bring gluten- and allergy-free products to the North Hills. The store has a ton of vegan food. It has specialty items (like the full scope of Bob's Red Mill products), a dairy-free milk and ice cream section, frozen food, organic food, and lots of vegan and organic snacks and things I haven't seen before.

But.....oh. It was expensive. Very expensive. Silk Soy Milk was $4.59 (on sale at Giant Eagle for $2.99). A 3.5 container of flavored kale chips (one was pizza) was $7.99! I was so tempted by frozen vegan soy taquitos--one of my favorite foods from my vegetarian-but-didn't-eat-healthy days. But the $6.49 price tag made me put it back. I found a decent price on agave nectar ($3.29) and bought just that.

I liked Soergel's, but with my food budget, I don't think I can afford it. At least, not in the winter.

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