Sourcing whole foods for the whole family

This is a post for my friends who consider themselves gardeners, localvores, home-nutritionists, csa supporters or farmers! Oh, well, the rest of you can read it too, if you are interested!

It was a happy, happy day last week when my friend Gina informed me that her “girls” (hens) were laying again.

Moving to a new state at the height of growing season last August was difficult for our family of (then) nine people. We had lived in Michigan for six years, and over time had found sources for fresh farm eggs ($1.00 a dozen) and local unfiltered, unpasteurized honey (better to acclimate the immune system to fight off local allergies) and fresh, organic raw milk to be made into butter, yogurt, and cheeses. We knew where to get our flour and grains, almonds and sesame seeds. We grew our own vegetables for the most part, well, except for zucchini. Everyone wanted to share zucchini.

Moving to an area where we did not really know anyone meant that we needed to start all over again. Several new friends have been so helpful to help us settle in and begin to find the farm fresh items we need (Thank you, Mari and Gina!) and we are so grateful. It is still a process, though, and it has surprised me at the length of time that it has taken.

I have hoped to live in the country or at least the edge of town, so that we could have our own chickens for fresh eggs. God has not provided a house in that locale (yet!), and while large angry dogs are allowed in town, chickens are not. That’s why Gina’s little ladies made me so happy by gifting me with two dozen beautiful free range eggs this week.

This is what the local harvest website says about free-range eggs:

Tests of eggs from four free-range flocks found that, compared to U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrient data for eggs from confinement production systems, the eggs from chickens raised on free range were much more nutritious — up to twice as rich in vitamin E, two to six times richer in beta carotene (a form of vitamin A) and four times richer in omega-3 fatty acids. And, the free-range eggs averaged only half as much cholesterol as the USDA data indicates for confinement-system eggs.

Here’s a perfect illustration, one you might never observe if you just buy your eggs from the store. I never knew, myself, until I saw it with my own eyes. Above you can see the farm-fresh egg on the upper left hand side of the skillet, and a JUMBO supermarket egg on the lower right hand side.  Do you see the size difference?  There is a color and taste difference, too.   (The messy food smudges are courtesy of my sons who were making breakfast….really. Would I fudge with you just to make myself look like a better housekeeper?) Praise the Lord for real live farm hens and the eggs they lay. I am no longer enslaved to the high priced, miniscule, sinful, factory production level eggs. (Just kidding about the sinful part. Let’s not call them “sinful. Let’s just call them….mistakes.)

It has just been a good week for food sourcing. I took my little fellas to the local flower shop. We were intent on buying lettuce, spinach and kale seeds, and hopeful about herbs. I knew we had hit a bonanza when we walked in the shop and everything smelled like mothballs. The sales clerk was a font of information, telling me how and when to plant my onions. I already knew, but age and wisdom demand respect. You get neither if you buy your seeds at Wal-mart!

As we turned to pay, there were two cats on the counter and LOCAL HONEY by the cash register. It was $5 cheaper per five pound container than my co-op can offer. BINGO! For just a phone call, I can request the unfiltered, unpasteurized version and my local BFFF (Bee Farmer Friend Forever) will oblige me. (We small town red-necks can text message, too.)

The flower shop had no herbs, however, so we continued on to the local feed store. No live herbs there either, but they had a dog the size of a wooly mammoth that kept the little guys happy. If you’ve never been to a feed store, go! My sister is the manager of a feed store in Georgia, and every feed store worth its salt carries everything from real-live chicks to salt blocks to onion sets to Carhartts. I made some new Best Friends. The clerks even called me “honey.” They pegged me for a home-schooler right away, and I only had four kids with me. (I do not know how they knew. The kids weren’t school-aged, I wasn’t wearing a jumper, and I’m not currently pregnant. Oh. Right. I was driving our huge white monster van.)

The kindly clerks directed me to another local business, just five miles outside of town, where I can apparently purchase live herbs and any other plant I might ever need. They urged an elderly customer to give me directions, but he cautioned me that I couldn’t get to the herb farm today due to the 8 inches of rain we received last week. See? I got not only smiles and conversation, but also a weather and road condition report. I paid $1.49 and bought enough onions to last me for the spring, summer and fall. All I need to do is shove them in the soil. I even learned the genealogy of the dog.

I am hot on the trail for a source for farm milk. I have heard of a farmer who utilizes a co-op model. I hear that I can obtain it for $2 a gallon, but it involves some driving. If we are able to formulate a “driving co-op,” this might be do-able for several families.

Eight months after moving, we are finally beginning to rebuild our contacts and sources for whole and healthy foods. Along with my parent’s garden and what I am able to grow in our small yard (and God’s immeasurable grace,) things should start feeling right again in the food category.

I love small town living. I adore my local farmer friends. I am thrilled to support them every way we can. I rather imagine that they think that a family of ten who wants to purchase their goods are a blessing as well. If you long to eat healthier and live a healthier lifestyle, be sure and visit a local garden or feed store. If you live in a city, don’t be afraid to venture outside of your city to the nearest small town. There’s a lot of good folks who are willing to help you get started once you step outside of your comfort zone.