I'm a devoted Trader Joe shopper, but I did get tired of their produce,


I try not to buy any produce there. It's usually
funky in some way. One can't go for quality and cheap
prices both. I also don't like the way these sell their
own brands. There's no way to know the source and
the source doesn't have to worry about their reputation.
A good example: A while back there was a salmonella recall
on products from a wholesaler in the Midwest, called Big Nut.
Among the list of low-end products being recalled was
Trader Joes peanut butter.

While I don't particularly trust Whole Foods, I find their
produce is generally better than other supermarkets, if
only because their clientelle want it that way. For
instance, right now they have those monstrous Driscoll's
robo-berries and they don't even have any garlic from
the US. They also don't have any truly edible tomatoes,
despite prices up to $6.50/pound. On the other hand,
they have local strawberries from an identified grower,
and delicious, local, organic lettuce.
...But if I actually had access to a decent co-op I suspect
I'd do as you do.