I was asked how Chuck and I decided or ended up organic farming and creating healthy food. We kind of got here by accident. I have tried to eat better for a long time, with varying degrees of success. Chuck has walked some of the same trail. It becomes simply trying to eat better on a regular basis. Oddly, much of what we know comes from parents, grandparents and others who have lived sustainable lives for generations. My grandmother knew what was good food. My parents know that too. They eat balanced diets. Having grown up on a farm we had access to homegrown food. We had access to natural eggs and fresh meats on a pretty regular basis.
What changed when we grew up? We discovered fast food, processed foods, and more. We began to eat stuff that we didn't even know. Chemicals added, preservatives added, pesticides used in processing. I don't think we even knew the half of it. I am not sure we truly even know the half of it now. It is getting worse, much worse. We import foods from countries like China that send food that is tainted before it leaves there and only gets worse as it travels. Additionally, we have large companies like Monsanto that have made it there goal to control food production. Seeds that don't even seed. Huh?
From that basis, Chuck and I started eating in a more simple method. We already knew how to get it. Luckily we live in a place that has farms very close to us. We have farms that grow simply and organically. It was just a matter of finding them and dealing with them. We travelled to Kutztown, Lancaster and points in between.
Starting this some 4-5 years ago, it seems to have blossomed. We bought and used. Some of our neighbors liked what we were doing and asked if they could share. We shared produce with our neighbors, literally selling it off our porch. From there we got a little more systematic and bought, knowing we were going to sell to others. We bought in larger quantities.
Last year we looked at he fact my parents own a 45 acre farm that is not used. We figured out that we needed to use the land for some use other than just leaving it there to be taxed. We started setting up a small produce stand and sell produce there too. We made a pact to only sell locally grown, pesticide free and in season. That isn't too hard to do, actually (except in February). We added the market of selling at some local flea markets. The niche market of natural food was pretty easy. We never said we were the cheapest. We do say we are the best.
Then we decided that we could use some of the produce and create products that have the same niche as the produce has. Still natural. We created breads, orgainic eggs, canned goods and spices. We used the best of the best. The dilema here was how to get it to market without coming into legal hassles. At a show in Berks County we found our solution. We learned that the licensing laws in PA only apply to PUBLIC sale. As long as the sale of an item was a PRIVATE sale, we were on good footing. BINGO ! That was it. It is the same laws that allow private clubs to sell alcohol to members without having a liquor license.
Thus, came FARE, Farm Alliance for Responsible Ecology. By joining FARE you can PRIVATELY purchase whatever you like and need. That is as easy as it gets.
I hope you enjoy this... East FARE and Well
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
TEN REASONS FOR GOING ORGANIC WITH FARE
Organic Foods are becoming more mainstream and our mission here at FARE (Farm Alliance for Responsible Ecology) is to help promote the distribution of organic food locally and timely There are dozens of reasons to buy items that are organic (Note: When FARE uses the word "organic" we use it in the broader natural definition, not necessarily the USDA definition and not confusing the "Certified Organic" which has legal definitions.)
1. Reduces Health Risks. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us. In addition, organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as powerful antioxidants.
2. Benefits Wildlife and the Environment Overall, organic and sustainable farming supports more farmland wildlife than non-organic farming. It causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas - and less dangerous wastes.
3. Reliance on Drugs Removed Antibiotic additives routinely added to animal food to speed animal growth are linked with bacterial resistance in humans to the same or closely related antibiotics. Soil Association standards ban the routine use of antibiotics. Being in a third generation (in the US, much longer in Europe) farm family we recognize that grandparents and their grandparents didn't use chemicals to produce. FARE reaches back to their wisdom for growing and sustaining.
4. Tastes Great Many people buy organic food because they believe it tastes better than non-organic. This could be because organic fruit and vegetables tend to grow more slowly and have a lower water content, which may contribute to the fuller flavor some people experience. A poll in 2005 showed that quality and taste of food are important to more people than low prices. In addition, its also common sense - well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. We are "foodies" and we like food. If it doesn't taste good, we don't sell it.
5. Organic Products meet Stringent Standards.
Organic food comes from trusted sources. Unless otherwise stated FARE products are chemical and pesticide free, locally grown or produced and in season. We state clearly we don't grow 100% of our products, but we buy from trusted sources, doing the leg work for you.
6. Organic Practices Lead to a Healthy Ecosystem The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources. Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
7. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy
USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops. FARE believes that this niche market is only growing exponentially.
8. Organic abundance - Foods and non-foods alike!
Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically - even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way. FARE attempts at every turn to use only natural, organic and sustainable items.
9. Care for AnimalsNo system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farms working to Soil Association standards. Compassion in World Farming believes that the Soil Association's welfare standards are leaders in the field. (Joyce d'Silva, Director, Compassion in World Farming.)
10. GM-free Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards. Over a million tons of GM crops are to feed non organic livestock that produce much, if not most, of the non organic pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products in our supermarkets.
11. Organic Producers Strive to Preserve Diversity
The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
1. Reduces Health Risks. Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us. In addition, organic food contains higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium as well as powerful antioxidants.
2. Benefits Wildlife and the Environment Overall, organic and sustainable farming supports more farmland wildlife than non-organic farming. It causes lower pollution from sprays, produces less carbon dioxide - the main global warming gas - and less dangerous wastes.
3. Reliance on Drugs Removed Antibiotic additives routinely added to animal food to speed animal growth are linked with bacterial resistance in humans to the same or closely related antibiotics. Soil Association standards ban the routine use of antibiotics. Being in a third generation (in the US, much longer in Europe) farm family we recognize that grandparents and their grandparents didn't use chemicals to produce. FARE reaches back to their wisdom for growing and sustaining.
4. Tastes Great Many people buy organic food because they believe it tastes better than non-organic. This could be because organic fruit and vegetables tend to grow more slowly and have a lower water content, which may contribute to the fuller flavor some people experience. A poll in 2005 showed that quality and taste of food are important to more people than low prices. In addition, its also common sense - well-balanced soils produce strong, healthy plants that become nourishing food for people and animals. We are "foodies" and we like food. If it doesn't taste good, we don't sell it.
5. Organic Products meet Stringent Standards.
Organic food comes from trusted sources. Unless otherwise stated FARE products are chemical and pesticide free, locally grown or produced and in season. We state clearly we don't grow 100% of our products, but we buy from trusted sources, doing the leg work for you.
6. Organic Practices Lead to a Healthy Ecosystem The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen leaching, done in combination with soil building, protects and conserves water resources. Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The primary focus of organic farming is to use practices that build healthy soils. Organic agricultural respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
7. Organic farming helps keep rural communities healthy
USDA reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops. FARE believes that this niche market is only growing exponentially.
8. Organic abundance - Foods and non-foods alike!
Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food agricultural products are being grown organically - even cotton, which most experts felt could not be grown this way. FARE attempts at every turn to use only natural, organic and sustainable items.
9. Care for AnimalsNo system of farming has higher levels of animal welfare standards than organic farms working to Soil Association standards. Compassion in World Farming believes that the Soil Association's welfare standards are leaders in the field. (Joyce d'Silva, Director, Compassion in World Farming.)
10. GM-free Genetically modified (GM) crops and ingredients are not allowed under organic standards. Over a million tons of GM crops are to feed non organic livestock that produce much, if not most, of the non organic pork, bacon, milk, cheese and other dairy products in our supermarkets.
11. Organic Producers Strive to Preserve Diversity
The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is one of the most pressing environmental concerns. The good news is that many organic farmers and gardeners have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The economics of FARE
The interest in FARE (Farm Alliance for Responsible Ecology) has been amazing. We know that this subject interests many people. We have been bombarded by the concept of food. There is even a TV network dedicated to food. The interest in food, and specifically, good food is really nothing new. In fact, from what we have been finding, it is old; real old. Our grandmothers and great-grandmothers knew good food. They knew that buying locally made health sense. Not only did it make sense, but in past generations it not only made health sense, but it made economic sense. Buying fruits or vegetables, out of season or not grown locally, was expansive because of the travel cost. Today, large corporate structures have made the world transport of food very cheap, thus putting a huge variety of food that is not grown locally available to us on a daily basis.
The amount of marketing ploys to deceive us is also implanted in this distribution. We can find “Canadian Pastured Beef” in the stores. To be labeled as such, beef can be transported from anywhere in the world and only needs to be on Canadian soil for 24 hours to be labeled “Canadian”. For a chicken to be considered pastured, the chicken needs to spend only 24 hours on a pasture, according to the US FDA.
Since Thanksgiving is coming up (in the United States) it needs to be noted that the turkey we are going to be purchasing cheaply or even given to us, is 3 years old at a minimum and has been stored in a deep freezer. That has been the norm for the past 15 years, when there was a shortage in turkeys. The industry with the blessing and even the pressure of the federal government had turkeys stored so that there would never be a shortage again. The result, unfortunately, is that we are eating 3 year old birds, unless we are buying locally raised turkeys that are FRESH !
We have also, since our entry into the food business a couple years ago, found that excellent food need not be expensive, but quite the contrary, is often less expensive. Having started with fresh local grown produce that was absent of pesticides and chemicals and only sold in season, we realized that we actually sold the vegetables and fruit less expensively, in many cases. Noting we weren’t or aren’t always the cheapest, we are always the best.
The same thing is true with our homemade artisan cheese, small batch baked breads, canned goods with no additives, and gourmet herbs and spices. We take the same locally grown or produced items and create them into equally locally produced products.
Our French Boule, for example costs less per pound than mass produced white sandwich bread. In addition to the savings, it contains no chemical additives, no preservatives and only contains the best ingredients available.
In this time of worrying about things like flu, it makes sense to keep ourselves as sustainable healthy as possible and that is obviously sustaining it locally with fresh foods.
To make these products available to you and your family or household, simply sign our simple agreement and you are ready to go. It really is that easy. For as little as $10.00 (with $5.00 of that applied to your first purchase) you will be able to purchase items that are currently costing you significantly more elsewhere.
We hope that you will join us in making life more fulfilling for ourselves. Let's face it, no one is going to do it for us. Please direct any questions, comments or requests for membership to FAREfarming@aol.com or 610-250-7951.
The amount of marketing ploys to deceive us is also implanted in this distribution. We can find “Canadian Pastured Beef” in the stores. To be labeled as such, beef can be transported from anywhere in the world and only needs to be on Canadian soil for 24 hours to be labeled “Canadian”. For a chicken to be considered pastured, the chicken needs to spend only 24 hours on a pasture, according to the US FDA.
Since Thanksgiving is coming up (in the United States) it needs to be noted that the turkey we are going to be purchasing cheaply or even given to us, is 3 years old at a minimum and has been stored in a deep freezer. That has been the norm for the past 15 years, when there was a shortage in turkeys. The industry with the blessing and even the pressure of the federal government had turkeys stored so that there would never be a shortage again. The result, unfortunately, is that we are eating 3 year old birds, unless we are buying locally raised turkeys that are FRESH !
We have also, since our entry into the food business a couple years ago, found that excellent food need not be expensive, but quite the contrary, is often less expensive. Having started with fresh local grown produce that was absent of pesticides and chemicals and only sold in season, we realized that we actually sold the vegetables and fruit less expensively, in many cases. Noting we weren’t or aren’t always the cheapest, we are always the best.
The same thing is true with our homemade artisan cheese, small batch baked breads, canned goods with no additives, and gourmet herbs and spices. We take the same locally grown or produced items and create them into equally locally produced products.
Our French Boule, for example costs less per pound than mass produced white sandwich bread. In addition to the savings, it contains no chemical additives, no preservatives and only contains the best ingredients available.
In this time of worrying about things like flu, it makes sense to keep ourselves as sustainable healthy as possible and that is obviously sustaining it locally with fresh foods.
To make these products available to you and your family or household, simply sign our simple agreement and you are ready to go. It really is that easy. For as little as $10.00 (with $5.00 of that applied to your first purchase) you will be able to purchase items that are currently costing you significantly more elsewhere.
We hope that you will join us in making life more fulfilling for ourselves. Let's face it, no one is going to do it for us. Please direct any questions, comments or requests for membership to FAREfarming@aol.com or 610-250-7951.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Welcome to FAREfarming
Welcome to the FARMING ALLIANCE for RESPONSIBLE ECOLOGY, (FARE). We are a private association of people that believe we need to eat better, live more simply and leave a smaller carbon footprint on the Earth. We are located in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
We believe that food is the basis of our health and lives. A firm believer in "Thinking Globally and Eating Locally" it is our mission to provide locally grown, locally raised, locally created and locally designed products and foods for our members use and enjoyment.
We are a private alliance that puts the farmer and members together. In that effort we can sell the freshest produce, often picked only hours before sale, to our members. Additionally, items like homemade artisan cheese, small batch baked breads, canned goods with no additives, and gourmet herbs and spices are available from time to time.
Recognizing that every family and/or household is different, we make no minimum purchase requirements. Our members decide exactly how much or how little they wish to purchase. Our view about purchasing locally items is to buy them fresh when they are needed.
Likewise, our members direct what we carry and what we create or provide. We are 100% membership driven. We only carry what members want and need and we make every effort to carry all the items that members want and need.
It is our total goal and hope that we keep this as simple as possible. We recognize that we are a busy people with demands on our time for many needs. We don't want purchasing quality and healthy foods to be a time or energy consuming effort. Our members have access to a list of available items, which changes daily. Since we offer chemical free, locally grown, and only in season produce, we can only offer items that meet those requirements. Therefore our offerings change almost daily.
To make these products available to you and your family or household, simply sign our simple agreement and you are ready to go. It really is that easy. For as little as $10.00 (with $5.00 of that applied to your first purchase) you will be able to purchase items that are currently costing you significantly more elsewhere.
We hope that you will join us in making life more fulfilling for ourselves. Let's face it, no one is going to do it for us. Please direct any questions, comments or requests for membership to FAREfarming@aol.com or 610-250-7951.
We believe that food is the basis of our health and lives. A firm believer in "Thinking Globally and Eating Locally" it is our mission to provide locally grown, locally raised, locally created and locally designed products and foods for our members use and enjoyment.
We are a private alliance that puts the farmer and members together. In that effort we can sell the freshest produce, often picked only hours before sale, to our members. Additionally, items like homemade artisan cheese, small batch baked breads, canned goods with no additives, and gourmet herbs and spices are available from time to time.
Recognizing that every family and/or household is different, we make no minimum purchase requirements. Our members decide exactly how much or how little they wish to purchase. Our view about purchasing locally items is to buy them fresh when they are needed.
Likewise, our members direct what we carry and what we create or provide. We are 100% membership driven. We only carry what members want and need and we make every effort to carry all the items that members want and need.
It is our total goal and hope that we keep this as simple as possible. We recognize that we are a busy people with demands on our time for many needs. We don't want purchasing quality and healthy foods to be a time or energy consuming effort. Our members have access to a list of available items, which changes daily. Since we offer chemical free, locally grown, and only in season produce, we can only offer items that meet those requirements. Therefore our offerings change almost daily.
To make these products available to you and your family or household, simply sign our simple agreement and you are ready to go. It really is that easy. For as little as $10.00 (with $5.00 of that applied to your first purchase) you will be able to purchase items that are currently costing you significantly more elsewhere.
We hope that you will join us in making life more fulfilling for ourselves. Let's face it, no one is going to do it for us. Please direct any questions, comments or requests for membership to FAREfarming@aol.com or 610-250-7951.
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