Sandra Keros
You gotta love Forrest Gump's memorable line, "Life is like a box of chocolates ~ you never know what you're gonna get". When it comes to food, "what's old is new" in that we're returning to local, farm fresh fare at restaurants, food stores and farmers' markets - just so that we know what we're going to get
and for getting it cheaper.
Eating farm fresh isn't just a cool new trend or for enjoying tastier meals, it's helping out local economies too.
Studies done in the state of Maine (
see link) have shown that local farms bring more $$ back to Main Street. What a tasty way to support your local economy!
Last weekend, I made my first trip to
Donna the lamb farmer in Sonoma County and picked up 10+ gloriously fresh pounds of butchered and packaged lamb. So fun, exciting - and at $8 a pound even for expensive cuts of meat - much cheaper! I almost wish I had friends - especially kids - with me when I went to share in this exciting experience.
Breathing in fresh air and walking on grass with a farmer describing life on the farm is a cool thing - it quickly takes one out of the usual workstation-based rat race routine. It feels
good to see happy animals on pasture (including one-day old baby lambs!),
reassuring to witness clean facilities and what they're being fed after being on pasture. And as one soaks up the fabulous scenery, one gets to touch, feel and breathe in what's real, witnessing in nature what it takes to sustains us.
For a soulful journey that you can't buy but must experience, here are some resources that show you where to check out a local farm near you:
Donna the lamb farmer in Sonoma - email her for availability of a variety of meats at
2dtappan@comcast.net
http://www.localharvest.org - a comprehensive resource for farmers, farmers' markets, CSAs, Co-ops, etc.
http://www.westonaprice.org/chapters/ - an EXCELLENT resource for farmers near you, from around the world
www.themeatrix.com/ a short educational animated film on factory farming practices
Do
you have a story or pictures of when you went to a local farm to buy produce, eggs or meat? Are you or someone you know a local farmer and would like to show off your goods on my website? Please let me know - I'd love to hear your story, share it on my website or maybe even make a visit!
For my Facebook friends, check out recipes, my blog and more at www.SandraKeros.com.
Current Comments
Post has no comments.