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If you are interested in eating organic on a budget, finding a nearby grocery store can be a challenge. Stephanie of KeeperoftheHome.org recommended AzureStandard, which is an online organic food catalog and delivery service. AzureStandard delivers to much of the Western states (see below) and can ship orders to other parts of the country, including Alaska and Hawaii. I’m considering eating organic for an entire month as an experiment and may well use AzureStandard! Here’s how it works.

Register on the site to access their sales flyer (free), delivery schedule (free), and product catalog ($.45). Charging for the product catalog strikes me as odd, because you’d think free access would entice potential customers, but perhaps it means only people who are truly interested follow through. Buying in bulk will lead to the biggest savings, but it is possible to buy in smaller quantities.

Once you join, submit your order online or over the phone. Your order must be at least $50 to avoid a $5 handling charge. Pick a drop off location near you or chose mail delivery. It is best to join an existing drop off location because if you want to start a new drop point, the minimum order is $550 (which can be made up of a bunch of smaller orders, like eleven orders of $50 each). AzureStandard accepts cash, checks, money orders, and credit cards. The company does not accept food stamps or coupons.

Drop offs are once a month. Place your order at least three days before the schedule departure date to make sure your order is on the truck. Drop off routes include (pasted from the site):

• Hwy. 101 along the Oregon Coast and south to Crescent City, CA
• I-5 corridor from Seattle, WA to Redding, CA, then south on Hwy. 99 to San Diego.
• Hwy 97 from Ashland, OR to Yakima, WA.
• I-84 from Portland, OR to Twin Falls, ID
• I-90 from Ellensburg, WA to Missoula, MT and on east to North Dakota and Minnesota (** see note below)
• I-80 from Evanston, WY to Des Moines, IA and north into Minnesota (** see note below)
• Hwy. 95 from Lewiston, ID to Bonners Ferry, ID and from there over to Kalispell and area down to Missoula, MT.
• Colville & Newport, WA areas and North Central Washington.
• Areas of Western Nevada along US 95.
• North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa deliveries, and deliveries east of Missoula, MT have fuel/delivery charge because of the long distance.

For questions, email customer service at customerservice@azurestandard.com or call 541-467-2230.