I knew I wasn't the only one who thought organic was making headway and was glad to find this article talking about the increase of organic farms and was especially happy to see the increase in dairy cows and laying hens.
One question the article asks is who are America's Organic Farmers? I'll share a farm I have personal experience with. Dale Filburn & Family have a family farm in W. Alex about 20 min. from my home. The eggs you find at 4 farmer's markets and Dorothy Lane Market are raised humanely and with pride. The downside is they are close to 4x the price of eggs from Kroger or Meijer. Paying close to $4/carton is hard to justify to most people, especially in today's economy but the eggs do have a wow factor! You'll never see yolks like that coming from caged-raised hens, ever. If you are baking for the holidays treat yourself!
Another local farm in the area is E.A.T. Food for Life Farm. The picture here shows him with free-range turkeys and it is a true to life picture. The farm has the greenest pastures and the animals are fat as ticks. Here is their official website http://www.eatfoodforlife.com/index.html and you can find them at Dayton Public Market.
http://www.branchcreekfarm.com/ is maybe 7 miles from me at the most. If I take the back way home from classes I pass by this farm and the view is always the same - a farm cattle are comfortable in and raised in a way you won't find in CAFO's. Of course some would argue that we can't feed the world on farms that raise 15+ heads of cattle. It's true. But is it so ignorant to think that we can help the world feed itself with programs like Heifer International. It's also true that organic farmers charge significantly more for their food, especially meat and eggs. But the question remains and will forever be debated that at the end of the day, with food recalls, environmental catastrophes, and the lobbying that goes with it, does it all even out and are smaller farmers suffering because of what we've determined to be "rich folk" food?
Disclaimer: This blog reflects my own opinions and Sinclair Community College is not responsible for any content contained here.
Your blog always inspires me to look more closely at the food I am buying. I have come to realize that it isn't really to hard for me financially to make better choices. I am lucky enough to only be feeding myself.You will be happy to know that recently I stopped by the tiny stand on 68 to buy vegetables. Worth every extra penny I must say.
ReplyDeleteMy grandpa has hens at his farms and his eggs taste so much better than the ones at the grocery. I would prefer organic over non any day..if I can afford it at the time ;)
ReplyDeleteI really like your insights on local farms! Thank you so much for this information Kristie!! I'm going to take more time and try to feed myself better by buying more organic and from local farms. One person at a time can make a huge impact! good job!
I am going to consider eggs from DLM for my holiday baking this year. I always choose the best ingredients, so why not eggs? I think it is very telling that the movement towards organic is also a move towards humane animal treatment and towards a safer food supply. While organic doesn't guarantee safety, the way animals are treated leads to the conclusion that your chances of acquiring a food borne illness from organic are probably less than from CAFOs. Thanks for the insight!
ReplyDeleteI think that the extra cost would be worth it--I always bake during the holidays, and I try to make sure I get the best farm fresh ingredients.
ReplyDeleteI am assuming the eggs are not raised in cages?
Thanks for giving locations on where to find organic food. I think it is worth it to pay more; not just because of the food quality, but the quality of treatment for the animals.
I know what you are talking about with the eggs. Fortunately, I don't have to pay $4 a carton to get farm fresh eggs. Living in Germantown, my son's best friend is in the FFA and grows chickens and my grandparents have around 10 laying hens. I never have to buy eggs if I don't want. I just go visit my grandpa.
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