A friend told me she saw pasture fed beef at Whole Foods. So I asked the butcher when I was there this week. As usual, he was very helpful and took me right to the display that had three cuts of beef labeled, quite obviously to my chagrin, pasture-fed. I asked him where the farm was that provided the beef and he replied without missing a beat “New Zealand.”
So much for an easy solution. Back to my list of local farms.
I’ve been so focused on buying local with my groceries that I hadn’t been thinking about other things we could buy locally until the other day when we were buying beer. We like to buy beer from smaller breweries and there are several good ones in our area: Flying Fish is in Cherry Hill, NJ; Riverhorse in Lambertville, NJ; Saranac in PA, Yeungling in PA. I wonder if Sam Adams in still really made in PA? I think even my current addiction, Pete’s, is brewed in MA — not too far away. I guess buying local beer would mean no more Guinness or Red Stripe, though, at least until our next trips to Ireland and Jamaica.
And what about clothes? I don’t buy a lot of stuff for myself, and Steve gets a lot from Banana Republic. (Yikes!) but for the kids I buy most stuff consignment. Not only am I reusing, but I guess that is buying local, as well.
I wonder what else we can buy locally…
“Project Grass is a group of Sussex and Warren county farmers who rely on pasture, along with hay and grass silage, for much of their livestock’s dietary needs. These animals spend the majority of their lives roaming the pasture, eating the grass at will, and enjoying the great outdoors.”
Several of the farms listed in this article are also biodynamic — that is, “using everything on the farm to complement and benefit everything else.” No (or at least minimal) pesticides, compost generated from waste, using the natural behaviors of animals to grow meat and produce (for example, chickens following the cows to eat the bugs in their waste and spread the natural fertilizer). Want more information on that concept? Read the Grass section of The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
Of the farms listed in the Project Grass article, only one had a web site: DanaRay Farm in Branchville NJ. They also have a CSA, but they are over 90 minutes from our house so I’m not sure I would make a weekly pick up. However, they also have a booth at the Lafayette Farmer’s Market on Sundays from late spring to early fall. That is under an hour away and might be more feasible on a semi-monthly basis. None of the other farms were any closer, anyway.
A friend gave me information about Clearview Farm, which has a CSA, too. I’m not sure if their animals are pastured fed or if the farm is biodynamic because the web site hasn’t been working. Also, they deliver, which is convenient, but I’m not sure how I feel about it from an environmental standpoint. Is it better than people driving to them or worse? My sleep-deprived brain can’t figure it out right now. Hopefully I’ll be able to get more information about them soon.
My last lead is going to the West Orange Farmer’s Market opening day tomorrow. Maybe there is a good farm there to use. Unlikely, but you never know!
The Himalayans: She Likes the Weather
Am I really a Counting Crows fan without it?
The Slow Food Movement is all about supporting local food producers, sustainability, and fair treatment. The founder is Carlo Petrini, and Italian gourmand who was recently named a great innovator in Time Magazine‘s list of “European Heroes.”
Two of his books are on my “must-read” list (after I finally finish Omnivore’s Dilemma, Stumbling on Happiness, and Warped Passages):
Slow Food Revolution: A New Culture for Eating and Living
Slow Food Nation: Why Our Food Should Be Good, Clean, And Fair