Is total reliance on America’s food system a good idea?
Buying food is something we all have to do, and normally we just think of going to a big box grocery store. Maybe we also frequent the local health food store or club warehouse. But have you thought about just how reliant we are on these traditional ways of obtaining food? Is it a good idea to be so reliant on them? Are there other ways to shop?
One of my goals this year is to be less reliant on the traditional food system in America. I will be documenting this journey both on my YouTube channel and here on the blog. One of my solutions to this is Azure Standard. In this post I’m sharing about my first Azure Standard haul, and will also tell you what Azure is and why you might want to become a customer too.
Finding Azure Standard
I first heard about Azure Standard from a lady I follow on Instagram. I didn’t think much of it and didn’t look into it at the time. (This was sometime in 2020.)
But more recently, I’ve been seeing suggested videos on YouTube about Azure Standard. I think they came up because I’ve been watching a lot of videos about gardening and homesteading, and people who use Azure seem to tend toward being homesteaders.
Finally, I decided to click on one of those Azure videos – and I was hooked! I went to their website, made an account, and started browsing. They have so many products available for purchase! Just this past month, I placed and picked up my very first Azure Standard order!
What IS Azure Standard?
So you’re probably wondering: what IS Azure anyway? Azure Standard is a food co-op that focuses on healthy, whole food, much of it being organic. I actually made a spreadsheet comparing Azure prices to other places that I shop. If you buy in a certain quantity from Azure, it really is cheaper! If you’re only wanting to buy small amounts, then Azure may be a little more expensive. But one of the main reasons to buy from Azure is because you can buy in bulk quantities, which equals better prices – and a stocked pantry.
Great news: there is no membership fee! You just sign up with a free account. (And I’d appreciate it so much if you’d use my referral link!) If you want to get products shipped to your home, there is a shipping fee. But the main way that people get Azure products is by going to a “drop.”
A drop is where a semi-truck comes to “drop off” everyone’s products. There are so many drops throughout the country, and it’s easy to search on Azure’s website to see if there is one near you. (Even driving a longer distance can still be worth it, too!)
What happens at a drop?
At the drop, the food is sorted by some of the people who are picking up at the drop. Then you get your order! It’s that simple! For my drop here in California, I received an email from my drop coordinator the night before pickup. We were instructed to wait in our cars in a line (unless helping unload). Then the drop coordinator came to each person’s car with a clipboard, confirmed my name, and showed me where my products were. I then hauled them into my car and away I went! It was super easy.
Some drops charge a drop fee. At our future location in Kansas, for example, there is an 8.5% drop fee for goods picked up at that location. But where I live in California, there is no drop fee! However, 8.5% is worth it in my opinion, especially if you’re buying in bulk.
Azure Standard is a great choice if you’re interested in getting healthy food at reasonable prices in bulk. However, like I mentioned above, another reason I decided to be an Azure customer is because my family wants to be more prepared and stocked up on essentials. (I think we all learned that lesson in 2020!) We’ve also seen prices on goods going up recently and buying in bulk is a way to reduce that expense. Plus, there’s just a lot of uncertainty in the world right now, and I don’t want to be caught off-guard.
In addition, the more times you run to the grocery store, the more times there are for you to impulse buy. So if you can buy in bulk, shop less often, and participate in food co-op drops where you’re not even setting foot in a store – there’s less temptation to impulse buy.
What I purchased in my first Azure order
Now that I’ve hopefully interested you in becoming an Azure customer, let’s go over what I purchased in my first order! If you want to see video of my haul, make sure to check out my YouTube video below. I’ve even broken down the cost per unit so you can see just how affordable the prices are!
Natural Value full-fat coconut milk – $23.31 for 12 cans ($1.94/can)
Alexandre Family Farm 100% grassfed seasonal organic whole A2 milk – $8.32 for 48 oz.
Azure Market organic sprouted brown rice flour – $16.02 for 5 lbs. ($3.20/lb)
Azure Market organic tapioca starch – $8.91 for 5 lbs. ($1.78/lb)
Azure Market organic coconut flour – $11.28 for 5 lbs. ($2.26/lb)
Azure Market organic gluten-free rolled oats – $9.96 for 5 lbs. ($1.99/lb)
Azure Market 100% beef gelatin – $8.93 for 1 lb.
Azure Market Italian seasoning mix – $8.47 for 1 lb. (I use Italian seasoning a lot! Check out my meatball and sauce recipes.)
Nuco vegan coconut avocado oil mayonnaise – $7.92 for 1 jar (12 oz.)
NWFerments gluten-free sourdough starter – $10.23
Cultures for Health Greek yogurt starter culture – $9.07 (contains 2 packets)
They also include a free sales flyer for each customer, advertising next month’s sales. Drops happen once per month at each drop location. There is a cutoff date and time by which you must have your order placed and paid for, or else you will not be able to pick up at that month’s drop.
Becoming an Azure customer
I didn’t get a ton of stuff for my first haul. If you see other Azure Standard hauls on YouTube, you might see huge hauls! But you don’t have to do that. I do recommend buying in large-ish quantities, like getting at least 5 pound bags of goods so you can get the better prices. But if you don’t feel like you can order in massive quantities like 25-50 pound bags of stuff, that’s okay! Maybe your financial situation doesn’t allow for it or maybe you don’t have the space yet.
If you want the larger bulk pricing but don’t need a 50 pound bag of wheat sitting in your pantry, you could split an order with a friend or relative. You also do not have to order every single month.
If you have any questions about Azure Standard, please leave them in the comments below! If you’d like to sign up as a customer and this is the first time you’re hearing about them, I’d be so pleased if you used my Azure referral link. It does earn me Azure credits but it doesn’t cost you anything extra – it’s simply an easy way to support my small business! I appreciate it so much. Let’s get healthier and more prepared together!