16 Foods with Scary Suprises...May Suprise You

Check out this link (but not while eating your lunch):  16 Foods with Scary Surprises.  It gives 16 foods that we commonly buy from major companies, and the FDA requirements as far as ACCEPTABLE levels of rodent hairs, mammal excrement, larvae, fly eggs and more...Can you even believe there are "acceptable" levels... I don't know about you, but this article motivates me even more to grow/ raise my own food, or at least buy local from a farmer you trust! 

Help Crooked Gap Farm!

Our friends at Crooked Gap farm have some great farm raised meat for sale. Help support a local farmer by checking out their info below to order some.

Crooked Gap Farm
http://www.crookedgapfarm.com
http://www.twitter.com/crookedgapfarm
http://www.facebook.com/crookedgapfarm

Top Ten Lists

The following info is from a book entitled From Asparagus to Zucchini, A Guide To Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce

Top 10 items purchased at a grocery store:
1. Marlboro cigarettes
2. Coca-Cola Classic
3. Pepsi-Cola
4. Kraft processed cheese
5. Diet Coke
6. Campbell's Soup
7. Budweiser beer
8. Tide detergent
9. Folger's coffee
10. Winston cigarettes

Top 10 items delivered by a typical CSA farm:
1. Tomatoes
2. Lettuce
3. Carrots
4. Beans
5. Potatoes
6. Peppers
7. Squash
8. Onions
9. Peas
10. Broccoli

Here are are a couple other facts to think about:

*On any given day more than half the U.S. population eats no fruits or vegetables. By joining a CSA, you and your family are ensured a weekly supply of fresh healthy produce.

*Only 1 of 10 children ages 6-11 eats the recommended 5 a day servings of fruits and veggies. Surveys of CSA members reveal that by becoming a CSA member, their households saw a significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption.

Local Food for the Future

Family farms are quickly diminishing in numbers and farm land is being sold and developed at alarming rates. By supporting local farmers today, you can help to ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow and that our children will have access to good wholesome food in the future.

Buy Local Produce...

An important part of buying local is making an effort to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables when they are in season in your area. Although today's global marketplace allows us to buy foods grown virtually anywhere in the world all year round, these options are not the most sustainable.
By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles, your food dollar goes directly to the farmer, and your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Buying seasonal produce also provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes. And it simply tastes better!

Check out http://www.sustainabletable.org for more on local sustainable food.