After a year of living in Mankato, Minnesota, I've finally found a reliable source of fresh fruit and vegetables. Last fall, asking around town for an organic food source, I was directed to a co-op in the next town over. It's a great option, but a bit of a drive for weekly grocery shopping. Trying to find organic in Mankato proper was turning out to be difficult. Finally, the chain grocery stores started carrying more organic foods, but at an exorbitant cost. My attempt to eat healthier seemed to be more of an ideal than a reality.
Then earlier this summer, a friend mentioned the Farmers' Market and asked if I wanted to tag along the next time she went. Turns out, the market is only three miles from my house. They set up in a parking lot three days a week for a few hours at a time, allowing local farmers to bring their product fresh to the consumer.
Apparently, when I was asking about organic, I was asking the wrong question. While some of the farmers do use organic methods, it seems most of them still use pesticides on their crops. You just have to ask at each stand whether their produce is pesticide-free or not. And even though I'm not getting the plethora of organic vegetables I was hoping for, the price is dirt cheap compared to the chain stores, and my money is going directly to the growers.
The market is seasonal, which might explain why it took so long for me to find out about it- it wasn't active in the late fall when I was asking around. Also, trying to get to the market on their limited schedule isn't always easy, and you're not always going to find what you're looking for- they bring only what's in season and clearly don't import like the chain stores- but the quality and freshness is unsurpassed.
If you're having trouble finding fresh organic veg in your area, or if you're travelling through a farming region, be sure to ask around- not for organic, but for the when and where of the local farmers' market.

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