A Fresh Start

About a week ago Ryan and I watched the documentary Food INC., and it had a huge impact on us. We always wanted to eat fresh and local, but never bothered to put in the time to make the change. After watching the documentary we decided from that moment on we would no longer be buying our meat and produce in the grocery store.  Not only is it pumped full of unnatural things that were never meant to go into our bodies and shipped from all over the world, but the way the animals are treated is absolutely apalling. Seeing chickens raised in coops where they will never see the light of day and cows standing knee deep in their own feces was the last straw.

The American supermarket has no seasons, you can walk in and get tomatoes year round. Eating local you get only the freshest ingredients and here is a shocker, they taste SO much better. When you eat local not only are you getting better healthier foods but you're supporting your local economy and farmers. It's a big step and even a little scary. It will change the way you cook because you will only have the ingredients that are in season in your area to work with. I imagine I will be posting my dishes and recipes soon.

 The best way to make a change is to join a CSA.

"Community Supported Agriculture or CSA, is an alternative food system... It represents an informal agreement forged on an annual basis between a farmer and a group of members to produce and distribute food.  Members, sometimes referred to as shareholders, are people concerned about where their food comes from, how it is grown, and by whom.  They recognize the connections between thier food choices and the economic system that supports it...."  - The Community Supported Agriculture Handbook, The Center for Sustainable Living, Wilson College

For our meats we got a half share at a local CSA and paid $325 plus $50 membership fee for a10 weeks of meat. Each week we get four different cuts of meat one of which is substitued for 1/2 a dozen eggs every other week. This week we got some ground beef, beef stew meat, beef shoulder roast, and pork chops.  All the meat is pasture raised, grass fed, and hormone free.

For our produce we decided to go with a delivery service, Greenling,  that offers local and non local organic foods.  We will buy a local box every other week for $35 and we can add anything else we need or want for the week. They sell everything from meat and dairy to produce and pantry staples.
This week in the local box we recieved:
Asian Pears, Prickly Pears, Sweet Potatoes, Assorted Peppers, Okra, Sweet Potato Greens, Summer Squash, Pickling Cucumbers, Eggplant, Loose Shallots, and Limes. To that we added two white onions and .5lb of Purple Hull Peas.

Not Convinced.. Just take a look at what showed up on my doorstep!

I encourage you all to watch Food Inc, for yourselves and be informed what the Government is allowing to happen to the food you feed your families everyday. ( I will write more on this later)

 To find local CSA's in your area go to http://www.localharvest.com/ and for delivery service check out http://www.greenling.com/