We've been farming for over 10 years now, growing what we consider healthy food for our community. Now we've opened the Education Center to continue our efforts to teach people about where our food comes from. So it stands to reason that we have a few ideas about what good food is.
Good food is grown in a sustainable manner, without chemical fertilizers and pesticides, antibiotics, steroids, or hormones. It's "good" because it is healthier for consumers, farmers, their communities, the environment, and our society in general (not to mention it does taste better!).
The newest buzzword is Locally Grown food. And with good reason, as you can see from an excerpt from the FoodRoutes.org website:
There Are Many Good Reasons To Buy Locally Grown Food
You'll get exceptional taste and freshness.
Local food is fresher and tastes better than food shipped long distances from other states or countries. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.
You'll strengthen your local economy.
Buying local food keeps your dollars circulating in your community. Getting to know the farmers who grow your food builds relationships based on understanding and trust, the foundation of strong communities.
You'll support endangered family farms.
There's never been a more critical time to support your farming neighbors. With each local food purchase, you ensure that more of your money spent on food goes to the farmer.
You'll safeguard your family's health.
Knowing where your food comes from and how it is grown or raised enables you to choose safe food from farmers who avoid or reduce their use of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, or genetically modified seed in their operations. Buy food from local farmers you trust.
You'll protect the environment.
Local food doesn't have to travel far. This reduces carbon dioxide emissions and packing materials. Buying local food also helps to make farming more profitable and selling farmland for development less attractive.
When you buy local food, you vote with your food dollar. This ensures that family farms in your community will continue to thrive and that healthy, flavorful, plentiful food will be available for future generations.
As for recommendations about what kinds of food to eat, check out the Weston A. Price Foundation website for some surprising ideas about healthy food.
Please visit our Links page for a list of other wonderful organizations which promote local food.