In The Begining....

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