This past year has changed lots of things in our lives. Some people are affected more and others less, but we all feel the change. I can honestly say that in my life Covid brought lots of good things. Although I’m still a bit struggling with a cough and the masks are something really annoying, there are some changes that actually helped the lives of people that live in places farther away from towns. Covid made our people think and work differently and gave us a chance to live like many other countries have lived for ages. 

Before Covid there was only one big supermarket chain that delivered food and vegetables, there were only a couple of clothes and shoe stores online, and specialized stores like hardware, gardening, plant, bookstores couldn’t be found online. Now one year later we can buy anything online. I have no reason to go into town because I can buy everything online and it will be delivered to our door which is excellent because our public transport is very poor and we have only a couple of buses a day. Usually when I had to buy something I had to go to town very early and wait at least an hour to get back home due to the lack of buses. Now I can buy what I need and not worry about time. Also, this way is much cheaper, when I calculate the cost of delivery and the cost of bus ticket it’s about 50% cheaper to order a delivery. 

Another great thing that happened with covid is that our local market sellers also started delivering vegetables and fruits. Before we’d have to go to town to buy vegetables from the local family farms. I’d have to lose half of the day to buy fruits from a farm that is actually in another village. I have my own vegetables stored and use them as much as I can, but during winter there is just no way to grow vegetables here without having a big heated greenhouse and I don’t have one. Also, my garden is way too small to provide vegetables throughout the year. And we eat a lot of vegetables. 

So the past couple of months I’ve been ordering fresh and beautiful vegetables from our local family farm. The difference in vegetables I buy from stores and this farm is huge. The vegetables are so fresh and healthy that I can buy them once in two weeks and they will stay fresh during those 14 days without the need to freeze them. Before I’d buy vegetables and then spend the whole day cooking and storing them. Now, there’s no need for this. Every Monday I get a list of available vegetables with prices and I message the needed vegetables and fruits back. The next day I get my vegetables all nicely packed and washed.

Since my mum broke her ankle I’ve been cooking for my whole family and this is what I ordered for the next two weeks.

I cook five to six days a week. If I make vegetable stew we usually eat it for two days so I don’t cook every day but there are freshly cooked meals at least 5 times a week. I still have lots of homegrown beans and kale so I don’t buy them. Also, I still have lots of pickled cucumbers, peppers, beets, and relishes so I don’t have to buy those either. 

Vegetable-mushroom pie

There is also another great thing about buying fresh vegetables from family farms: grincajg

 I’m really happy and satisfied with my deliveries, it’s really lovely to eat lettuce that actually tastes good during the winter and not need to pre-cook everything.