Posts
Here in Central Iowa we are about to enter our glorious farmer's market season. Fresh local food, grown by real people will actually be available in between the booths of shipped in produce and fast food coffee.
Seriously though. The farmer's market is an amazing experience on a couple different levels. One is that you get to connect to and with the people growing or raising the food. Second, you can try new things! Third, you can connect with other people buying real food. It is a social event.
This week the challenge to live local is to pick one thing that you know you do not get local already and find it at the market or by using localharvest.org or by asking people. I started this week with flour. It is not something I ever thought I could get locally and yet there is a farm in Central Iowa that grows grains and mills flour- Paul's Grains!
Last year I changed to local with cheese and milk. The year before that it was honey. The change doesn't have to cost a lot, nor re-vamp your entire pantry. Pick something you actually use and like and simply replace your grocery store staple with something more local. I found that I actually pay less and the quality is absolutely AMAZING.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Yes, 2 thumbs up for Paul's Grains. Curious as to where you get your cheese?
Two sources. Reichart's Dairy Air for three types of goat cheese. And Gateway market sells Prairie Breeze. Mmmmmm. I can make my own cottage and pizza cheese with local milk- so I am covered!
i love paul's grains stuff!
it's halfway across the state...but i'm working more local...
Sara, actually, there are A LOT of cheese options these days. For simple curds Picket Fence Creamery and Sheeder's both have options. Sheeder's I can find in my Fareway in Altoona. For harder cheeses, Gateway does carry a selection, but a lot are available at the Downtown Market. One my husband and I both love the gouda from Frisian Farms near Pella. Harvest Barn retails the Milton Creamery's Prairie Breeze which is like a cheddar (and one of my fave all time cheeses) and Prairie Rose which is sharper and drier, kind of like a Parm or Romano. For Goat cheeses Reichert's is my fave for feta and chevre, (plus they sell robiola which is cream cheese like in consistency, but stronger in flavor) but Northern Prairie in Woodward offers some other varieties like a parmesan and manchego style cheese.
Those are just the ones off the top of my head. Most of them have booths downtown with lots of samples.
I'm so sad we moved from the Des Moines area late last summer to the Iowa City area, therefore I'll be missing out on their beloved farmer's market! But...I've been researching ones around me now, and you'll bet I'll be coming there soon!
We are starting to buy mostly organic and just this week started buying our eggs from a local chicken farmer - how good it feels!
THANK YOU! During the summer we do buy from a booth at the downtown Farmer's Market. The Prairie Breeze there is our favorite and we have also had the Prairie Rose. If I was smart last year I would have gotten their info so that I could buy year round. I will be this year.
Also, thanks for letting me know Sheeders sells at Fareway. I will be checking here in Ankeny, I know I have bought their milk from Hy-Vee before.
I am planning a trip with my kiddos to Picket Fence Creamery one of these days. Looking forward to seeing what they have to offer.
Thanks again ladies. This just might be the one thing I start buying locally all the time!
How about local options for pasta?
My sense of humor leans towards stating that Barillia pasta is factory processed in Iowa! Seriously though, Blue Gate Farm sometimes sells some awesome pasta. We make pasta here, it is WAY easier than I ever thought possible. Local flour, local eggs= pasta. Hmmmmm, maybe we should post a video tutorial?
ha, that's true.
a tutorial would be great - i haven't really looked into making pasta, i guess i'm just naturally intimidated by it. (i'm a total rookie in the kitchen.)
Post a Comment