Omnivore's Dilemna

As an Alaskan it has been a challenge for me to understand the growing season of all things, plants and animals. In Alaska there are 2 seasons, summer and winter. During the summer you eat as much veggies as you can as the veggies are available for about 3 months if you are lucky. The rest of the year, the ground is frozen. There aren't a lot of cows or chickens in Alaska, mostly moose and ptarmigan. However, now I know why hunting season for moose is in September! As I have been learning more about food, when it is grown and where it comes from I came across this passage from the book Omnivore's Dilemna, "We should eat red meat when it's cold, but people want chicken in the winter, when we don't have it...A global food market, which brings us New Zealand lamb in the spring, Chilean asparagus in December, and fresh tomatoes the year round, has smudged the bright colors of the seasonal food calendar we all once knew by heart. But for local food chains to succeed, people will have to relearn what it means to eat according to the seasons. This is especially true in the case of pastured animals, which can be harvested only after they've had several months on rapidly growing grass (this is when they are the fattest) Feeding animals corn in CAFO's has accustomed us to a year-round supply of fresh meats, many of which we forget were once eaten as seasonally as tomatoes or sweet corn: People would eat most of their beef and pork in late fall or winter, when the animals were fat, and eat chicken in the summer."

This shed a whole new light for me on the W of W. Doesn't this sound familiar? Heavenly Father has told us, in the season thereof. For me it helps me to partly understand why we eat red meat when it is cold...the meat is better for you! I have been trying to learn which farmers are at the farmers market and how they raise their animals so that I can get the best food for our family. I know the cost is a bit more, but I have come to realize that spending money on quality nutritionally dense food is important to me as I raise my family. I want what is best for us and if that means paying more for good quality, I am willing to do that. I went to the market today and bought from Maple View Farms which is a local dairy farm and you can get their milk at Harris Teeter or Whole Foods (the chocolate milk is to die for!). I also bought free range eggs from them.

Peaches were at the market today! Yummy! I can't wait to have some with my local milk. They are delicious. I love summer!

Has anyone else read Omnivore's Dilemna? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I wish I knew of a farm close by that operates like the Polyface farm. If you know of one, please let me know.