Farmers get a bad rap, don’t they? Which is crazy because day in and day out they are grow food for the majority of the country. Not because we can’t grow our own food, but because we simply don’t want to. Wheels, fast food, washing machines and other convenience products made it so that we can all spend more of our time out of the home. Somewhere along the way, however, we forgot where our food comes from and allowed ourselves to turn a blind eye to animal welfare (out of sight, out of mind).
Don’t fret, local farms didn’t go away just because major conglomerates moved in. They are still there working harder than ever to stay afloat all the while raising healthier, happier animals and produce.
Because our suburban Farmette cannot provide 100% of our nutritional and medicinal needs we prefer to support local farmers at the source rather than dealing with a middleman (like a grocery store). This way our dollar goes directly to the farmer and our community.
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Attend a farmers market
Is there a better way to spend a morning than walking the stalls of a market and engaging with your community?
Farmers love to answer questions about their product and help you find the perfect thing for you whether you are preparing for date night or saving seeds to grow your own. If you are planning to stock your pantry with sauce or syrup, ask for “seconds.” These are slightly imperfect, but still perfect, and sold at a very discounted rate.
We love to get pastry or a small snack right when we get there and then spend the rest of the time slowly meandering, sampling and purchasing our delicious treats!
What will you find at a farmers market:
- Seedlings
- Produce
- Candles & other Goods
- Consumer Package Goods – peanut butter, salsa,
- Ready to Eat Foods – food trucks and stands offer lunch and beverages on a hot day.
The farmers and winter market in our area are my favorite places to buy gifts for loved ones also.
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Join a CSA
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Farms sell shares of their harvests and customers pick them up weekly throughout a set growing season.
They are easy to find locally with a quick google search. Most often you are provided with a basket of in season produce to be picked up from the farm.
Sometimes that means getting new-to-you produce! I find finding a new recipe with the mystery ingredient incredibly fun. It is fairly rare to see a build your own box type model, though more farms seem to be leaning that direction to keep up with companies like Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods
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Purchase A Bulk Meat Order
Purchasing large quantities of meat can be daunting at first due to the expense and space required to store it all. But ordering a ¼, ½ or whole animal or even a freezer bundle will ultimately save you money.
Right now, at the grocery store beef is selling for $10+/lb.
At our local farm purchasing a bulk order of beef costs you $6.50/lb and if we pay attention, they offer sales quarterly!
Don’t forget though, you’ll likely need a dedicated freezer to hold all of it.
How do you and yours support local farms?
We love to see and hear about your adventures on your property, big or small! Please leave a comment or tag me on Instagram with @TheFryFarmette and #TheFryFarmette so we can cheer you on!
