Food Freedom: Where do you start?
You have been thinking about where your food comes from. You have been thinking about how your buying habits effect your health, the environment, and the economy. But where do you start?
1. Start Small
Overhauling all your food habits at once isn't doable. It's like a crash diet. Maybe you can do it for a few weeks but it is not a long term solution. Pick two areas you want to change.
2. Determine what you eat the most
When you are picking the two areas you want to change, think about what you eat the most. Maybe it's salad and chicken. Maybe it's tomatoes and ground beef.
3. Find a local source
Find an easily accessible farmers market, local farm, or even simply commit to buying the produce that is sourced locally at your grocery store. I often buy apples at the grocery store and not the farmers market, however I check the sticker for a Pennsylvania Orchard. Why would I buy apples from Washington State when we grow hundreds of thousands of them right here?
We have Lancaster's Central Market about 30 minutes away, but it's not easy to get to and the parking is a pain, especially with three kids in tow. I found the Masonic Farmers market 10 minutes away with convenient parking. I can get fresh fruits and veggies there quickly! Sustainable habits are key. If your local, organic, and ethically raised food is too hard to get, you won't keep buying it. It's how we got here in the first place!
If you want to focus on meat, find a local farm or find where they sell. We bought half a cow earlier this year. When I do go to Central Market, I stock up on other meat. That's the easy thing about meat: you can freeze it!
4. Plan for Plants
Fall is a great time to grow greens! If you want to grow a warm weather crop, start planning for the spring. Decide what to plant and where. Make sure your soil is in good shape. Compost your kitchen waste if you need to improve the soil. Research the plant you want to grow. Decide when you will start the seeds indoors or buy seedlings.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Think about changing your food sources in terms of progress, not perfection. Sometimes you will still eat frozen pizza. Sometimes you will eat Washington State apples. Strive to change your habits one at a time. Strive to keep your money local. Teach your kids the same mentality and share what you do with those around you. It's so easy not to think about where your food comes from. Honestly we are conditioned to not think about it, convenience is king but sustainability is queen. 👸🏻 😉
Yes!
For us in Alaska, food security is an additional problem because there is such a small percentage of locally produced food, and so much of what we eat is barged to us. I've been to town and found the "boat was late" and they were sold out of many staples.
Growing as much of our own food here is important for sustainability, and for our families safety, but it's not as easy at it sounds. Livestock feed is shipped up, local hay is hard to find, and the growing season is so, so very short. Locally grown options are few and far between, and often very overpriced.
We're learning new ways to increase our food production on two acres…
One suggestion that I wish we had here in NEPA is CSAs, in SC we had great local farms that had amazing CSA programs.
We have several farmers markets locally including a large CO-OP market in Scranton. Unfortunately if you don’t do your research you can be buying products from overseas being resold. Many of the farms at our largest market are really not grown on local farms. While the prices can be lower than most grocery stores, the products are subpar and not grown on local farms.
it pays to do a quick google search of each farm before purchasing, IMO.