Where Your Food Comes From

Do you ever think about it? Meaning – where your food comes from?

No, I don’t mean Food Lion (though mine does, a lot of the time). I mean, really comes from?

Where were your potatoes grown, and by whom? Was the beef you’re eating from a healthy, humane farm? Did your salmon come from a safe waterway? We want and need the best for our families, right? My son eats what I give him – I want it to nourish him, not harm him. I want to know I’m doing my best for him.

I’ve been really lucky. As a blogger, I’ve been invited to tour a variety of farms. Egg farms, corn farms, cattle farms. Later this month I’ll be touring dairy and veal farms, and in May, I’ll be in California touring fresh vegetable farms. I’ve seen first hand what it takes to get your food from the farm to the table in both a small farm and a large commercial farm scenario, and I honestly THINK about it when I reach for a carton of eggs now, or when I am looking at the color of a steak in the meat cooler. I understand what it took to get it to me in a timely, safe way. Do you think about it?

As a country girl, gardening and small farming are no stranger to me. I grew up on a back road in West Virginia where my grandparents there had a large garden, and my grandmother canned all summer long. My grandfather kept hogs and my dad had a few head of cattle. My aunt and uncle had a small farm with goats, chickens, and rabbits. Food wasn’t wasted, it was preserved and enjoyed. It brought our families together. Every Sunday, my grandmother made lunch for everyone. She had 7 kids, and they all had kids, so you can imagine the crowd in that small 6 room house.

It was the best. Gosh, it makes me miss her and those days. I’d love to have it all again, even the green beans that were always cooked to death and full of fat back.

Getting back to farming though (you know me and my tangents) – Not too many people can grow their own food these days. Time seems short, doesn’t it? No one seems to have enough time, and gardening is a lot of work. Just ask a farmer!

Farmers these days are incorporating technology into their worlds – things like GPS and Satellite Imagine assist them in producing the best crops they can. Water technology, animal dieticians – you name it – is all being used to improve what the farmers can bring to the table.

My table, and yours.

So question where your food comes from. You do eat it, after all.


U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance’s Resources for Information about Food and Food Production

In 2010, America’s farmers and ranchers founded the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to start and lead an honest dialogue about American agriculture. USFRA has set the table for conversations with Americans to answer their questions about food and food production.

Find information, ask questions and get accurate answers.

www.FoodDialogues.com

o “Learn About Your Food” videos – Check out videos that offer insight into questions being asked by real American consumers, and answers from real American farmers and ranchers. http://www.fooddialogues.com/learn-about-your-food

o Blog – Updated frequently, USFRA’s blog addresses topics such as defining the difference between organic milk and conventional milk production methods, timely responses to misinformation in the news and updates from guest bloggers who work each day to produce food. http://www.fooddialogues.com/blog/

· USFRA’s Facebook page – Join in the conversation. Provide your feedback on USFRA posts and ask your questions. You’ll get honest answers from farmers and ranchers and have the opportunity to share your viewpoint with other consumers on USFRA’s Facebook page, which boasts nearly 16,000 “likes” and an active forum of discussion every day.

· Twitter – Follow USFRA on Twitter to get the latest updates, highlights from food- and farming-panel discussions and links that provide information on food production. www.twitter.com/USFRA

Do you have questions or concerns about where YOUR food comes from? I encourage you to ASK the FARMERS! You can do so at FoodDialogues.com and on the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance Facebook page. They answer!


Giveaway

How would you like to win a nice 6 quart Programmable CrockPot? I can help you with that! I’ve also got 2 designer reusable shoppers from Envirosax to throw in…nice, huh? To win, just tell me this – do you think about your food, or just toss it in the cart? Leave me your answer in a comment, and you’ll be entered to win.

imageimageimage

Giveaway is open until April 10 at 11:59pm EST. US addresses only, please. ERV $68.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. However, all opinions stated are my own.

Spread the love