Lovely World

Local Food II

After writing about Caretaker Farm yesterday, I couldn't neglect another of my absolutely favorite local food spots. Cricket Creek Farm is a dairy farm. We buy our milk and cheese there. Over time they have added so much more - eggs, bread and goodies made in their own bakery, maple syrup, honey, fruits and veggies from local farms, homemade jams and salsas. We love to visit. The kids spend time collecting eggs and being chased by the geese and roosters. We check out the cows and pigs. And we visit with our friends who live and work on the farm.

Many thanks to all the local farmers who are creating these havens of sane, humane food production. Consider giving them your business.

Local Food

Caretaker Farm has been our CSA for many years now. I have enjoyed this year's harvest more than ever. I think part of the reason is that I have spent years mastering the cooking and putting-by of the bounty and now finally feel an ease and a "knowing" about the food. I find that I now use up each week's share, and hardly ever let a bag of mystery greens decompose in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator. I have also found so much pleasure in being at the farm. We have so many friends there, and it is fun to see my kids spontaneously immersed in picking veggies or playing in the brook with other children.

The harvest is almost complete, and soon we will be on our schedule of monthly visits to the root cellar at Caretaker to collect onions, beets, carrots, and other assorted root vegetables - until they run out. It is always disorienting to me to have to buy things like onions or kale or carrots at the local food stores. At Caretaker I know where the food comes from, but at the store that isn't always the case. Fortunately, our local food co-op, Wild Oats, has made strides in getting the local harvest into the store through as much of the year as possible. I am hopeful that our food economy will continue to move in the direction of localized production and consumption. I truly believe that our health, and the planet's health, depend on this.