The Importance of Eating Local

This last couple of weeks have been a brilliant reminder of the multiple benefits of eating local. With one of the largest egg recalls in history, I felt vindicated that I have been supporting my local farm for several years now and purchasing their wholesome organic, cage free eggs. Not only do I know my eggs are safe to eat, but I know that I'm in some important way contributing to the local economy and the well being of my guests.

An important lesson to be sure. The single most valuable asset to buying your food locally is the familiarity you have with your farmers. You can guarantee that things are being done the right way by going to the source of your food and checking up on the facts. You can see what chemicals may or may not be used and how "free" your "free range" chickens really are. And perhaps most importantly, how clean the facilities are that these animals are kept in. All of these can contribute to your peace of mind that what you are eating is safe, environmentally friendly, economically friendly and of course friendly to the animals and people involved.

A friendly reminder of some terms. CSA means community supported agriculture. There are CSA's all over the country. They all work on the same basic premise. You pay for a share of the crop of a farm and then you get some fresh produce. Prices and exact rules may vary but the concept is the same. Get the freshest seasonally available produce at the best price. "Certified Organic" may be a misnomer. Just because a "farm" is certified doesn't guarantee quality. Certification is expensive and many small farms that are doing it the right way cannot afford to get certified. Larger corporate farms that can afford certification often cut corners and abuse the system. For example, a chicken can be called "cage free" as long as it spends at least 15 minutes a day in sunlight. That's a cop out and not the kind of farm I want to support. "Certified Natural" is similar to "Certified Organic" only it is designed to be taken advantage of by local smaller farms. It is much cheaper but also requires no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and hormones.

One interesting fact to keep in mind about supporting local farms. According to AARP magazine, if you spend $100 at a local business, $45 of that will stay within the community. If you spend that same $100 at a chain store, only about $14 of that will stay within the community. Times are tough for everyone. I don't know about you, but I would rather support those people that I know and care about than the CEO's of a big corporation. Lets keep the $$ local and support our local farms.

CSA: Community Supported Agriculture

When we first came to Central Illinois, I relied on the grocery store, i.e. Walmart, for most of my groceries because it seemed as though we were miles away from any decent resource for produce. What I ended up with mostly was underripe, underflavored, shiny, beautiful fruits and vegetables that had been transported thousands of miles, sprayed with pesticides and herbicides and rendered practically inedible. As I have spent more time here and have become more interested in locavorism and organic produce, I have found a great wealth of resources for fruits and vegetables at my disposal, literally in my back yard, or close to it. It's called a CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture. The principle is basic. A farm asks for subscriptions for a share of their crop. In return for those subscriptions, the subscriber receives a box of fresh produce, or a share of produce, every week, featuring the freshest and best produce available from that farm that given week. While specific details may vary, one thing is the same across the board. No matter what CSA you use, you are guaranteed to learn about different types of vegetables you won't ever see in grocery stores, you'll get the best tasting produce you will ever find, and you will likely never buy vegetables from a grocery store again, save for those times in the dead of winter when your options are limited, depending upon where you live. Many CSA's pride themselves on their organic growing practices, however, due to the high cost of the certification process, most of these farms are not "Certified Organic." Many of these farms will also offer farm fresh eggs and milk. Cost?? Well, cost can vary, but the one we belong to is roughly $350 a year and generally half is due up front and half at the end of the growing season, which goes from May thru October. In the beginning, you'll get a lot of the same things, asparagus, lettuce, onions. Then, beginning in June, and contingent upon the weather, the diversity becomes astonishing. They fill your box based upon your preferences. You will send in a sheet with your likes and dislikes based upon everything they grow. If there is something you hate, like brussel sprouts, they won't include them. Some of the more unusual things that we have gotten that I have truly enjoyed learning about and have never seen in a grocery store are garlic scapes, herbs like Anise Hyssop, varieties of potatoes like Kennebec and summer squash like Cousa and Pattypan. As summer progresses, you may start getting more vegetables then you ever thought you could eat, but what you will find is that you'll start eating them more and enjoying them in many different preparations. Vegetables don't have to be boring. Don't just steam or boil them, saute them in olive oil and a little butter, roast them or grill them. Add spices and combine them with fresh herbs. Eat them raw, eat them cooked, but just eat them. You'll feel better and you'll feel like you have really been a part of your local community. For more information and a database of CSA's across the country, go to http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.