Are You In Control of Your Food Supply?

A recent comment on Facebook got me to thinking, and inspired me to write this post....  A friend had posted some comments after watching the documentary, Food, Inc. (If you haven't watched this one, it is a must-see if you are at all concerned about the food you eat and staying healthy.) I shared with her some info on CSAs and findingImage via Wikipedia clean, healthy, locally grown food - which as you know is a topic near and dear to my heart! She was grateful and excited, and hopefully will get involved and her family will reap the healthy benefits!

However, another friend of hers commented on Food, Inc., and said something about how she would prefer not to know what's in her food since she has no control over it.

This comment was actually shocking to me....  Is this really what people think?  Have we gotten SO far from producing our own food, that we actually think what we put into our bodies is entirely out of our control? This is so disturbing to me. No wonder disease and obesity are skyrocketing in our country. No wonder our children are projected to have a shorter lifespan than we do - if this is how we are approaching our food!!

YOU DO HAVE OPTIONS!!!

This blog is actually an effort to spread the word about some of those options, and educate people on the fact that not only are options out there, but they are often easy to find and implement.

Although these are mentioned here often, here is a quick summary of some of the options available for you to control your food sources, and what you are feeding yourself and your family:

Option 1: Buy locally grown food. 
This could actually be broken down into a couple of different methods. Farmer's markets are probably the most well-known way to get access to lots of fresh, locally grown foods. Organic farmers feature their wares at many of these, so you can get the best of the best - Local AND Organic. You also have the opportunity to speak with the people growing your food, and ask them what kinds of treatments are used, and how things are grown, including the raising of animals. Are their cows grass-fed? Is their poultry raised on pasture? Are hormones or antibiotics used?

Image via WikipediaIf you don't have time to go to the market every week, don't like taking the time to fight the crowds, or wish to develop a closer relationship with a particular farm/food source, you might look into a CSA. CSA (community supported agriculture) farming is becoming increasingly popular throughout the US (and Europe). CSA programs give you the opportunity to purchase a share of a farm's produce up front at the beginning of the season. This benefits the farmers by giving them a built-in market so they know how much to grow, as well as funds right when they need them most. You, in turn, get to know a particular farm and its growing habits quite well, and you get a share of the farm's produce on a weekly (or other regularly scheduled) basis. Most CSAs offer farm visits and tours, so you can even see your food growing (or "meet your meat!"). Most also have newsletters and regular updates on the growing of your food, many offer recipes and preparation tips for unusual items, and many now offer organic options.

Last but not least, many large grocery store chains now even carry some local produce, at least during the summer months. (Try health-oriented stores like Whole Foods, for a larger selection.) Although you won't have access to the local farmers to ask questions, at least you can often find foods that are organic and grown close to home. Often they have the name of the farm listed, so if you wish, take the time to look them up and give them a call to inquire more about their growing practices.

Option 2: Grow your own!
We won't spend that much time on this one, as this is what most of this blog is about, so browse our archives for lots of articles and tips on growing your own sustainable and organic garden, or even raising your own poultry for eggs and fresh meat. It's really not that difficult. And don't feel like you have to grow Image via Wikipediaabsolutely everything and support your entire family on  your own garden's produce. If you can, and you wish to, this is an awesome way to go!  However, even if you can only provide a part of your family's food, at least you know where SOME of what you're eating comes from, and every little bit counts. Start with a small corner of the yard, get the kids involved, or if you're in an apartment or condo, try some container gardening. Just about everyone can grow at least a few items, no matter where you live, and contribute in at least some small amount to your table.

Option 3: Do both.
Don't feel like you have to limit yourself to one or the other of the above options. It is perfectly okay to combine them! If you have just a small bit of garden space, grow what you can, and join a CSA for the rest. Or grow a larger garden, and pick up a few things at the farmer's market when needed. But whatever you do, please don't believe that you have no control over your food supply!  This is simply not true (at least in the US), and it is a dangerous road for us to travel these days - and certainly a harmful thing to teach our children!

What you eat is actually one thing that you have a LOT of control over. Most people either just don't make it a priority to seek out better foods (hopefully this isn't you), or they don't know where to start. I hope this blog gives you some ideas to help empower you to take back your food supply, and start contributing to your own family's well-being in an involved way. Yes, you CAN!  :-)

Some educational sources to help you learn more:
http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html
http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html

   

Community Supported Agriculture: A Win-Win-Win Concept

It’s my second year participating in a community supported agriculture program, and I am hooked!

Last year, I loved my CSA so much that I joined two this year! I am splitting them with a couple I know who was also interested, and I’m glad, because I am single, and though I love vegetables, I am practically overwhelmed, even after dividing both of my shares in half!

Image via WikipediaI’ve been interested in the CSA concept for years. It seems like such an amazingly common-sense, yet innovative idea. You get fresh, healthy, locally grown (and often organic) foods, often at a lower price than what you would find at the supermarket. The farmer gets a built-in market, and usually they get paid at the beginning of the season, when they need it most. And you are helping out the environment by eating locally grown rather than having foods shipped in from other areas (or even other countries), as well as supporting small farms that tend to operate more sustainably and take better care of the soil & water they use.

The problem was, I didn’t know how to find a CSA, or if there even were any in my area. I searched online a few times several years ago, but didn’t have much luck. But in the few years since then, the farming community has embraced the use of the internet, and many farms now have their own websites, which makes it much easier to find participating programs. There are at least 5 or 6 CSAs that deliver locally to my hometown now, and several others in outlying areas in the vicinity.

I’ve told many friends about it, and for the general public, the community supported agriculture concept seems to be a well-kept secret. For those who are unfamiliar with the idea, it is somewhat like a co-op. Individuals subscribe by purchasing a “share” of a given farm’s (or group of farms) harvest for the year. Usually this is done before the start of the season, so you make a one-time payment, and then collect your shares weekly or monthly throughout the harvest season.

Traditionally the concept has been mostly done with vegetables. However, there are all kinds of CSAs cropping up these days, from vegetables & fruits, to dairy and even meats. Here in Ohio, where the growing season is not that long, I subscribe to a vegetable CSA in the summer, and a meat CSA (with one of the same farms) in the winter months, so at least I know I am eating locally in part throughout the year.

One of the farms I am subscribed to is organic. The other has mostly naturally grown produce, except for the fruit. One share I pick up at a local farmer’s market. The other is delivered right to my office!

Right now I am overwhelmed with the summer’s bounty. My refrigerator is filled to overflowing with amazing, fresh vegetables (and my freezer still contains some organic meats from the winter share). It’s been years since I lived on a farm, and with all the years of shopping at supermarkets and just picking up whatever I felt like, I had forgotten what a bounty the summer truly brings…. It makes me feel so much more connected to my environment to only be eating things that are in season. It also forces me to cook more creatively!

Right now, in my fridge I have turnips, turnip greens, sweet corn, green beans, red cabbage, white cabbage, red onions, white onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, three kind of hot peppers, eggplant, summer squash, patty-pan squash, zucchini, broccoli, cantaloupe, and honeydew melon…and probably some other things I’m forgetting. And all of it is organic or naturally grown, and was picked within the last 2 days.

I feel truly blessed. And I am happy to feel like I am contributing to helping others as well — not just the farmers I have come to call friends, but those who use our limited resources and will inhabit our beautiful planet in the future.

I encourage you to look up a CSA in your area today, and see how easy (and delicious!) it is to start making a difference.

For more info on CSAs, as well as my favorite resource for finding local farms in your area, visit our website at http://www.newholisticliving.com/csa.html

Happy eating!