Support Local Farmers

Happy Friday friends! Is it me or did this week seem a little extra challenging? Justin and I are trying to find a new groove with our schedules now that he is teaching summer school (remotely).

Last night we decided that he would continue to do live instruction with his students in the morning, and I would log on to my office job in the afternoons. Thank God I am only working part time (until I can get my business off the ground) because otherwise, this would be a complete cluster.

How is my journey into entrepreneurship? Well, that still has me burning the midnight oil. I know that I am not alone here, and that tons of you out there are working your tail off to make your dreams a reality too. Keep working!! A little bit each day adds up over time! We will get there!

So today, I have plans to take the girls over to a local beach for some swimming, and fun in the sand. Afterwards, we are going to get started on our second attempt at making our own all natural gummy bears. The girls love fruit snacks so, I thought it would be fun to try and make our own here at home. Definitely not as easy as picking it up at the grocery store. But, its always fun to get the girls into the kitchen.

Eat Fresh, Eat Local, Eat Organic.

If you have been keeping up with our journey over on Instagram then you know that our family decided to support our local farmers this year. We purchased a share through an organic CSA (community supported agriculture) farm. So far we have been amazed by the quality and quantity of the share we get to bring home each week, and its only week 2!

One of the best nutrition tips I can give you is to eat fresh, local, organic foods. Fresh ingredients are some of the most healthful to incorporate into your daily diet. Local foods are great as well because they have less contaminants due to geographical proximity. In other words, they have less distance to travel so, it is less likely they have contaminants on them (to prolong their shelf life).

And, organic foods? Well, they are traditionally higher in antioxidants, and keep chemicals and pesticides off of your plate. All in all, eating fresh, local and organic is one of the best ways you can put some of the purest food on your plate, and into your body.

Did you know that a product labeled “organic” at the store must be at least 95% organic? Only products labeled “100% organic” are completely organic.

Top Reasons to Support a Local CSA

So, why CSA? Well, for one thing, it gives you an opportunity to support a local farmer, and small business. Secondly, you have access to some of the freshest, local produce available!

The farm we have partnered with is certified organic so, we get to tick all of the boxes (fresh, local, organic). But, it only lasts from July – November. I still need to figure out how to stay the course through the winter and spring. Here are more reasons why you should consider investing in a CSA:

Experiment with new produce you would not otherwise choose at the store
Meet your local farmer, and maybe even visit the farm where your food is grown
Experience the “farm to table” ideology
Buy organic and support biodiversity,
Support sustainable farming
Pesticide free produce at a lower cost ( Our CSA costs $28 a week vs our $40+ at the grocery store)
Make living a healthy lifestyle easy with immediate access to real, whole foods
The food just tastes better!

One thing I wish I prepped before kicking off our CSA season? Storage! The glass, airtight containers I have here at home are not big enough to store the bountiful produce from our CSA.

And, maybe a little cheat sheet on how to properly wash each vege we receive. I never knew how much goes into properly soaking/washing and preserving each vege to maximize its shelf life. But, its well worth it in my opinion. Want to know more about how to get involved in your local CSA?

Find your local CSA here. And, be sure to read this post for more on how to improve your eating habits. Still not convinced a CSA is for you? Well then be sure to click here for more on the “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” for the produce you are picking up at your local grocer.