Evolving Wellness^TM

Practical Applications and Information for Optimal Health and Living Naturally

Local Organic Farm Food

Published

on Aug 8, 2008

in Chemicals in Our Food, Environment, Food, Health, Nutrition, Organic Food, Prevention, Vegetarian Topics

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Fresh, local, wholesome, organic, nutritious food - those are words that I crave to have describe the food that I and all of us should eat.

However, in today’s times, they are just about as rare as cassette tapes, unless perhaps you have your own farm. And even then, most farms apply various chemicals to their crops and animals, none of which you want in your system and to add, treat their animals inhumanely.

So my search for such food is an ongoing journey. The first alternative to a grocery store was a local farmer’s market. We tried one, but found it very limited and organic produce was almost non-existent!

That is why I was thrilled, when a couple of days ago we had the great pleasure of finally going for a visit to a local, organic farm.

And what did we find there? Well, it wasn’t the ultimate solution, but it had one thing that was exactly what we were looking for…

The Motivation For the Journey

Generally speaking, we are very lucky as the closest grocery store to us, has a really great selection of organic produce and other food at good, competitive prices. But it is of course not the same as getting the food from the source.

I might not have been too inclined to find a local, organic farm if it wasn’t for the “egg issue”. We never eat any kind of meat (naturally being vegetarian) and dairy makes up such a tiny fraction of our diet in the occasional cheese sprinkled on a homemade pizza, so that is not an issue.

However, we do eat eggs and if you have ever been to a large grocery store you know that there is not just one type of egg there. So what does one choose when one wants eggs from hens that were humanely treated, not injected with any drugs, fed only vegetable feed without any pesticides? Ah, that is where the problem arises.

Before I became very conscious about this whole issue I used to buy the typically enriched omega-3 eggs. They just sound like everything we need from an egg, right? Wrong, just because they tempt us with the omega-3 bandwagon does not mean these eggs are healthy for you. They come from hens kept in cages and treated very poorly, who are also almost always injected with whatever antibiotics and growth hormones are needed and fed whatever is the cheapest thing going.

So I said, the heck with the omega-3’s and switched to “free range”. Okay, so now I felt better, as I felt these hens were at least living in more natural conditions and thus producing healthier eggs. But upon reading some articles about the term “free range” I learned that it is not all that it is cracked up to be.

Well that phase did not last too long as that was not enough to make me feel comfortable with the quality of the eggs either. So I switched to “vegetarian choice” eggs. (Yes, such a type really exists.) I thought I found the solution, the package clearly stated; they were only fed vegetable feed and not injected with any hormones or antibiotics. But I quickly discovered that they were caged as most large, factory chickens are in terrible conditions and not fed organically. Naturally these were not the type of eggs one is going to pay a premium for and feel good about it.

Okay, so organic was the last choice. I did buy these from time to time, but did not consider them a great solution as for one, they were not always available and two, cost $6.00 per dozen as opposed to $2 - $4 for typical eggs. But it was worth it right? Well, wrong again.

Unfortunately, just because the eggs are labeled organic does not mean the hens are coming from a humane environment and you may think I am picky but that just does not sit well with me. I just cannot ignore the fact that I believe all creatures deserve to be treated with compassion and dignity. I also cannot put an egg in my mouth knowing that it came from a hen that was shoved in a cage, possibly diseased, with a body too big for her feet to handle and living a constant life of stress.

Hence I was on a mission; I knew that the best thing would be to find a local, organic farm that carried eggs and to actually see how the hens are living.

The Solution

We live in a generally suburban area, so no farms around. However, about a half hour drive farmland begins. Sounds promising but it isn’t, as the farms are mostly corn farms with the odd berry farm.

I located one amazing, organic farm with this great system of a shareholder idea, but found it was over an hour and a half drive one way! Well not too economical to be making a more than three hour trip, for fresh produce each week. But honestly the mentality of this farm was amazing; it would have been my dream come true!

You have a choice of a set number of weeks from May to November, of pre-ordering a container of fresh, organic produce (size and variety that fits your family’s needs). They have it ready for you each week and you simply come and pick up. What a great idea, I wish more farms did that!

So anyhow, I was lucky to locate 2 farms, both organic within about a 30-40 minute drive one way. Not great, but worth trying.

Hence, we tried the first farm as I told you earlier a couple of days ago and upon driving in were pleasantly greeted by beautiful, healthy looking, white hens walking all around freely! The sight was just magnificent, to see these birds naturally grazing about, instead of being kept in cages or fenced into some tiny lot.

The farm had a little store where they sold a variety of organic produce and other foods such as grains, honey and beans and of course eggs! Unfortunately the amount of produce was very limited and pricier to my surprise than the supermarket. Some also wasn’t local, which defeats the purpose for me, but I understand that they want to bring to the people of that area a variety of organic produce.

Well my happiness revolved around the eggs as I found out that it was indeed the hens that we saw walking around outside that laid them. The farm keeper actually hand picked the eggs for us as she put them into cartons! And at $5.00 a dozen, although not much cheaper than the grocery store, these were well worth it. It was such a great experience - healthy eggs from happy chickens!

On one final note, I hard boiled a few yesterday and wow what a difference. For those of you who have never seen a fresh egg from a naturally contained hen, the yolks are so much bigger than store bought and the darkest orange-yellow you can imagine. I forgot what they looked like as one gets used to the small, grayish-yellow store bought ones. And the difference in taste and smell is pretty amazing too. Well worth the trip, even if it will be just for the eggs!

Why Local, Organic Farms?

Simply put - because you deserve high quality, naturally treated food. Some people may feel that there needn’t be such a fuss when buying food, but I am sure you do not expect me to agree. Remember what this is all about - optimally healthy bodies!

If you do not start at the source with what you put in then you cannot expect perfect health. What you eat, is like building the foundation for your health. So sure I won’t fuss over what make my clothes are or what gasoline brand I buy, but when it comes to food, it is the core for establishing and maintaining health. And remember not just average health, but optimal health!

So here are 5 reasons for seeking out and buying food from a local, organic farm:

1. You actually see where it came from

When you are buying your food from the grocery store, sure it looks all nice and pretty, packaged up for you on the shelf. But you have no idea about the conditions it grew in, was prepared or packed in. This is the truest for meat, as if most people saw what kind of conditions their meat lives in and how it is treated, we would instantly have a lot more vegetarians.

This way, you also do not have to rely on companies’ slogans and misleading ways of marketing. You get what you see and it is especially great if you build a trustworthy relationship with the farmer you are buying from.

2. You get higher, more natural, quality food

Even when food is bought organic at the grocery store, it had to be picked before it was fully ready in order to get to you in decent shape. Then it had to travel for some period of time before it got to its destination. Locally grown produce on the other hand is usually picked at its prime, which means the plant naturally had a chance to fully mature and thus contain all that it is supposed to. As well no hormones had to be altered to adjust the maturation of the plant.

3. You support the local farmers

The big farms and corporations have enough money, which is actually all they are about - money. So you cannot be expecting them to care about and give personal attention to every patch of land and animal the same way that small farmers can and do. Buying from them is like saying “thank you - I appreciate what you do for us” and also helps them keep their business going.

4. You help decrease climate change

When produce is bought at your local grocery store, most of it had to come there from far away locations, including other countries. Just think about the impact on the planet of shipping all this food by planes, trucks, trains or boats on a daily basis. If each one of us made a point of buying local as much as possible, we could make a significant decrease where harmful, greenhouse gases are concerned.

You also help save packaging as most food from farmers is packaged in significantly less material if any.

5. You can save money

Most of the time, produce and other foods bought from farmer’s is cheaper than if it was bought at a grocery store and this is especially true if the produce is in season. To save even more money, consider even pick-your-own farms.

Conclusion

This is of course not the end where my journey for local, organic produce is concerned. But in the meantime I am so grateful to have discovered some more beneficial solutions and be able to leave a better mark on this planet.

Remember your health and well being deserves a lot more than what most of us give it! So treat yourself well and start with the food you eat!

*Photograph provided by DanMaudsley

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One Comment, Comment or Ping

Natural Health says:

Your advices/arguments/answers “Why Local, Organic Farms?” are great. But you know, it is very hard to check these things in the very fast city life, however if we failed to care these things (Which you had mentioned above as answer for “Why Local, Organic Farms?”), every week we have to go to hospital when we will have reached our 40’s.
So, it is better to care now itself. Am I right?

Aug 30th, 2008