New Foods

Three weeks ago, we started making a weekly trip to the farmer's market in Corning. We had joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) with a nearby farm back in March, and our first share of the crop was available at the beginning of June. So far, we have picked up organic lettuce, spinach, asparagus and garlic scapes.

Because of the especially wet and cold spring we've had in Western NY, Muddy Fingers Farm is also bringing other items to the farmer's markets that are available for those of us that are their CSA share-holders. Last week, I picked up some organic whole-wheat flour that is stone-ground at a mill about an hour from our place.

Also last week, I looked around at the rest of the stands at the market and found some eggs from free-range chickens. The yolks are much darker than our store-bought eggs, and I'm glad to know that these chickens have had the perfect diet in a cage-free environment. (While I do not advocate the harming of animals, my motivation to find free-range eggs has been because of what I've learned in the book Real Food about the diets of animals and how what they eat affects us... and not that I believe an animal should never be caged.)

Another recent addition to our new diet has been raw milk, which we are able to acquire straight from a local farm - unpasteurized and unhomogenized. Although the taste wasn't what I was used to getting from store-bought milk, I am thrilled that my family is now getting the real nutrients in milk (not synthetic vitamins) and that everyone has so easily switched over to a whole-milk diet. It has been amazing to learn all that raw milk can do for one in regards to health! (Check out this page!)

The next things on my to-do list are to find some local farmers who have grass-fed cows where we can obtain our beef and pastured pigs so we can buy pork that isn't raised on corn and soybeans. It has been overwhelming at times to make these changes - especially using new recipes which use less processed ingredients and more traditional foods - but we are taking it one step at a time.