Friday, February 18, 2011

Why you should go local......

On Saturday I did one of my favorite things - I went to Green Akeys Farm to pick up some of their pasture raised beef and lamb.

Going to the farm and experiencing first hand where your food is coming from, seeing how the animals are raised, etc. is a huge part of why I eat local and shun the feed lots.  Plus, hands down, it just tastes better!
But, here is what I feel is one of the biggest reasons to eat as local as you can and know who your farmer is  - the sense of community. 

A visit to the farm is never a quick one.  I'm glad.  This time wasn't an exception as I was greeted with conversation and then was proudly shown the new lambs.  As I stood in the barn surrounded by pregnant ewes, Grace the goat came over to get scratched and her fair share of love.  Not to be outdone, Rocky and Rosie, the herd guard dogs came over for their portion of scratches and rubs.  Standing in the barn amongst the bleets and the baas, the cackles and crows, the Belted Galloways were out in a far pasture soaking up the afternoon sun.  Serendipity to this irishlas.

Another reason I feel such a strong sense of community is that they openly share their knowledge and answer any questions I have.  I was able to ask about trying my hand at meat birds and given great advice.  Advice you can't find in any book.  Advice that comes from first hand knowledge.  Advice given freely even though it may mean a loss of business for the farm.  Advice because they want folks to be more self sustainable.

The conversation is a two way street.  I listen as ideas and plans are shared for the future of their farm.  Even though I can't offer a lot of feedback, I am humbled by how they make me feel included as part of the growing process of their farm. 

When is the last time you bought a package of meat at the grocery store and left feeling as part of the growing process?  Try and ask the grocery meat department where the meat comes from and you'll be entertained by a little dance.

I can't stress this enough - if you are able, know your farmer!!  Besides, where else can you go to get your bounty whilst watching a chicken hitch a ride on a sheeps back?

Don't think you'll find that at the Safeway....


*On a side note, this has taken me all week to post. This thing called work has been a monster.  Hope to catch up with everyone soon!*


 
 

3 comments:

  1. Yes....work is the curse of the blogging class.

    You make me want to find a local farm and do the same thing. We have pastured beef in the freezer and found a source for pastured eggs, but we want pastured everything else. I'll have to try harder.

    Localharvest.org is a great place to start!

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  2. Localharvest is how I found this farm. But, truth be told, I was using another farm which was further away and quite frankly, it was rather large and really didn't need my business. Even though the farm was large, the owner still took time to talk to me every visit and even showed me his chicken tractors, etc. I made the switch because the current farm I'm using is brand new and could use the customers. Then I just fell in love with their farm and their determination to make it work. Plus, I like the taste of their meat better. Sorry for the long exploit here....

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  3. I would love to be able to buy our meat this way! I can get local pasture raised meats, but they all seem to go through a middle man, hence another markup. Consequently we just eat less meat! Still, I feel like I'm supporting local farmers and the health benefits are priceless.

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