One way or another, we all love food.  You may enjoy cooking, baking, gardening, collecting farm fresh eggs, feeding the cattle, eating the food, maybe even all of the above. The best and freshest foods effervesce with the love that went into growing, cultivating, natural care, and preparation of the food.  Local gardening and natural feeds result in sustainable food.  Sustainable food comes from Sustainable Agriculture defined as:  Source: Dr. John Salerno

...an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will, over the long term:

• Satisfy human food and fiber needs.

• Enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agricultural economy depends.

• Make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls.

• Sustain the economic viability of farm operations.

• Enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole

 

Forget the metallic taste of industrialized food. Shop local. Shop fresh.  Fuel your body with nature's vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.   

In Utica, New York we are fortunate to have available the Foodshed Buying Club.  established late in 2009 by Shulamis Giordani.  Shulamis was kind enough to offer this Healthy Food Examiner an email interview about the club:

I formed The Foodshed Buying Club in late 2009 after realizing their was a real need in our area to connect farmers to consumers. We are blessed in the Mohawk Valley to not only have access to locally grown produce, but also grass fed beef, pastured pork & poultry, and wonderful traditionally produced dairy products. The only inconvenience is that it would consume an entire Saturday to travel to each farm directly to get your weeks' food. ..... We make it simple to order farm fresh food online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Friday afternoon is pickup time, and in several minutes, you'll be in and out with your weeks' food essentials.

Our fundamental core is our strict standard and appreciation for only traditionally produced food. We strive to educate consumers on the dangers of processed food (including how to decipher what is classified as "processed"), and how not all food is created equal. The quality of one chicken can be vast compared to another, depending on what that chicken ate, how much sunshine it experienced in it's life, and finally how it met it's end. We promote a whole, real foods diet based on a balance of meat, fruits, vegetables, grain & dairy. And while we have a small handful of value-added foods in our line (granola, bread & hot dogs), the majority of everything we carry has a single ingredient. Every animal product offered is from a naturally raised animal (antibiotic & hormone free) that was free to graze on grass, and given the most respect possible during it's life. 

Everything is in it's whole original form. Best of all, it's all produced within an hour's drive of Utica. Every farmer has an open door policy, an open line of communication, and invites members to visit and inspect their farms.

We invite those interested in participating, to view our website at Food Buying Club , join for $15 annually, and place your first order. To receive your order on Friday, you must place it by Sunday at midnight. Pickup is at the RCiL building at 1607 Genesee St in Utica. Come join, and find out what real farm food tastes like! Your health will thank us. 
 

Real Food shopping from farmers includes Maple Hill Creamery from Little Falls for dairy, Wintersgrass Farm from Holland Patent for chicken and pork, Beef from Sunnybrook Farms in Deansboro. (Heidelberg bread shown, but not currently available through Foodshed)