Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.
Typically, members or “share-holders” of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing. Read more
Chefs and localvores have long been singing the praises of farm-fresh eggs and most can’t imagine having any other then free-range from the farm. Ask a chef and a localvore what makes them loyal to farm fresh eggs you’d probably get two different answers. Chefs tend to favor the texture, freshness and richness of golden hues. Where a localvore might initially focus more on how the eggs were raised. The chickens are outdoors in the pasture where they are free to roam at their leisure, get all the sunshine they want. As well as freely forage for there own food of grasses, worms and insects, all while enjoying the breezes of the season.
Most farmers that raise free-range chickens have movable pens or houses for their chickens. These “pastures” are moved from place to place giving the chickens fresh grazing areas on a regular basis. With this set up, the chickens will have some protection from predators. What about antibiotics and hormones you ask? Antibiotic-free means that the chickens were never fed antibiotics at anytime in their life. Chickens do not need antibiotics to grow and be healthy. Chickens raise their own resistance by being a their natural environment. Farmers focus on good husbandry (breeding and caring for farm animals ) practices such as sanitation. All chickens are hormone-free. Despite numerous marketing and labeling statements by many egg producers, hormones have not been used in the poultry industry for over 50 years. So whether you see a carton of eggs that have “hormone-free” on it or not be assured that the the eggs are hormone-free. Read more
What: Green Chatter Matter – Book ” The Seasons on Henry’s Farm”
When: Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at 7 p.m.
Where: Inglenook Pantry, 11 North Fifth Street, Geneva IL 60134 630.377.0373
There’s a new, huge movement rolling through Kane County and beyond. Throughout our communities, locals have become ecstatic for year round farm-fresh, regional foods and recipes. Finding viable, fresh alternatives to repetitive grocery store products has become high on our list!
Micheal Pollan was recently a featured gust on on point with Tom Ashbrook, discussing his latest work – Food Rules.
Pollan says that inspiration for his latest work came from a doctor-actually, a couple of them. ”They had read my last book, ‘In Defense of Food’, which ended with a handful of tips for eating well: simple ways to navigate the treacherous landscape of modern food and the often-confusing science of nutrition. “What I would love is a pamphlet I could hand to my patients with some rules for eating wisely,” they would say. “I don’t have time for the big nutrition lecture and, anyway, they really don’t need to know what an antioxidant is in order to eat wisely.” Pollan listened.
Listen to the complete interview On Point with Tom Ashbrook: Michael Pollen on food rules for a better life. Pollan’s previous works include “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto”, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. “Second Nature” and “A Place of My Own” and is a regular contributer to the New York Times Magazine.
Karen Stark has a challenge for all suburbanites: eat only locally produced meats, grains, fruits and vegetables this Thanksgiving.
It certainly sounds like a daunting task until Stark, a Geneva mom and coordinator of the town’s winter farmers market, explains that within a 100-mile radius of the ‘burbs you can find farmers raising free-range turkeys and beef, growing sweet potatoes and pumpkins and milling flour for biscuits and pie crusts. Cast the net a little wider and you can enjoy wild rice from Minnesota and cranberries from Wisconsin bogs and chestnuts from Michigan. (read more) …”Give thanks for food”.
Who/Where: Judge Family Chiropractic 2422 W. Main St. -- Suite 4A St. Charles, IL 60175 (map)
Judge Family Chiropractic will be hosting a screening of Food, Inc. at their office on Monday, November 16th. The movie starts at 7:00 p.m., but come in at 6:30 p.m. to visit the various vendors before the movie starts. For more information call their office at (630) 707-9314 or email Angie Marchand at angie4maximizedliving [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Where: Fox Valley Winery, 5600 U.S. Rte 34 in Oswego, IL
Terra Brockman was raised in central Illinois, where four generations of her family have farmed. Terra’s younger brother, Henry, grows 650 varieties of vegetables on about 12 acres between Peoria and Bloomington. There, he and his family and apprentices have bucked the traditional agribusiness conventional wisdom by farming in a way that’s sensible, sustainable and focused on producing healthy, nutritious food that doesn’t damage the land.
Terra Brockman tells the story of her family and their life on the farm in the form of a year-long memoir that takes the reader through each season of life on the farm.
For more information about Terra Brockman or her book, please visit her website at www.terrabrockman.com
This year the Geneva Green Market, NFP is having a localvore essay contest to accompany the Localvore Thanksgiving Challenge. To participate one must strive to come as close to eating 100% locally grown food for your Thanksgiving meal as possible. To participate, write a 250-word essay, discussing the experience of purchasing local ingredients as well as eating the meal itself.
The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate for the Community Winter Market, and their essay will be published in the GGM, NFP’s newsletter. Email your essays to genevagreenmarket [at] gmail [dot] com by 12/1/09.
Matt Lennert from Moveable Feast in Geneva, IL demonstrates how to make ‘Green Potato Salad’ at Thursday’s “Geneva Green Market.” Swiss Chard and Provence Kale fuse together in fresh pesto & chopped whole greens make this refreshing, scrumptious Summer potato salad. Click here!
Terra Brockman was raised in central Illinois, where four generations of her family have farmed. Terra’s younger brother, Henry, 
