OK…so I generally try not to get political on this blog…it’s mostly for fun, mindless, interesting, wierd stuff and things I want to say. While I am keeping it non-political – which is extremely difficult with all the election stuff going on, I do need to say my peace about the good food movement and supporting the local growers in your area. The good food movement goes beyond politics…it’s about health – health for our selves, our community, our land, our air, our families and our country.
First, let me throw out the following promotion to benefit Farm Aid and Verrill farm’s rebuilding efforts: http://freshfromthefamilyfarm.org/. This is a restaurant based promotion which is putting at least one item on the menu that sources all the ingredients from local, organic, humane farms. The proceeds directly benefit Farm Aid and the Verrill Farm rebuilding efforts after a devastating fire on Sept. 20.
Next, I want to talk about meat……and where you should buy your meat. I’ll tell you that where you SHOULDN’T buy your meat is from the supermarket. The regular meat, often on sale, is from factory farms and processed through the giant meatpacking plants which are riddled with bacteria, inhumane meat processing and working conditions. I suggest you do what I do…which is to buy your meat directly from a local farm which raises their animals humanely and organically, with no antibiotics, steroids or growth hormones. I buy from Chestnut Farms in Hardwick, MA. Each month I get a cooler with 10lbs of meat – chicken, beef, pork and lamb. I do pay a premium each month ($70), but I can tell you that it is worth every penny. The meat is delicious, fresh and most of all, I know that it is clean. The meat processor they use (Lemay and Sons) is a small, family run operation that is USDA certified and inspected regularly. And speaking of inspections, one of the biggest issues with meat and bacteria takes place in the meat processing plants…..This past summer I thought I was doing a good thing buy purchasing ground beef from whole foods so I could serve nice, organic beef at my summer barbecue. I found out the day I purchased it that there was a recall on the beef due to e-coli. What I learned from my research is that Whole Foods, while priding itself on providing good food, organic, etc., still uses the same processing plant that provides meat to Wal-Mart and all the major supermarket chains around the country. The unclean, inhumane practices of these “factory processors” is what causes many of the problems of bacteria in our meat (particularly the ground beef).
So what I am trying to do is encourage folks to support the local farms, local farmers and good food movement. It can cost a few dollars more each week, but the payoff is worth the investment. Good, clean, health food is something we should all have – and once you begin to eat local, you’ll realize how much better it tastes than the supermarket food.
To make it easier for you, I’ve provided some links to guide you in the right direction to purchase good, local food:
Local Harvest: http://www.localharvest.org/ This is where you can enter your zip code to find local, organic food in your area.
Eat Well Guide: http://www.eatwellguide.org/ This is a similar site that you can find local, organic food in your area.
I’ll close this by saying that it doesn’t take much to eat good food and support local farmers. It’s important to eat well to be well. Make the effort…you won’t regret it.
