Archive for category: Blog Archive

A study conducted at the University of Oregon found that “large-scale organic farming operations, based on a review of almost a decade of data from 49 states, are not reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

The organic farming movement began around 80 years ago, in the 1940s.  It was born with the intention of being a more ecologically sound practice than conventional farming.  Recommended organic farming practices include crop rotation, minimal organic sprays, and the use of fertilizers derived from local compost and manure.  However, as organic farms have become a part of a much larger industry, increased pressures have led to more machinery, a higher use of organic pesticides, and a need to import fertilizers from other locations.  All of these farming measures have increased the carbon footprint that comes along with eating the organic produce that is grown across the country.

Currently, commercialized organic operations make up a mere 3% of total Agriculture lands, but “appear to contribute to increased and more intense levels of greenhouse gases coming from each acre of farmland.”  According to the study, the production of certified organic food has been profit motivated, and has not been focused on implementing sustainable farming practices.  Unless federal action is taken to increase adherence to sustainable and eco-friendly farming practices, it appears that the commercialized organic farms will continue to emit high levels of greenhouse gases.

The idea of organic food, or the idea that we should consume food that is healthier because it has been sprayed less and it has been grown with sustainable farming practices, is one that we support.   But, like many of the country’s big industries, the organic food industry has lost its way.  That’s why we put our trust in our local food from family farms.  We’ve decreased pressure on our farmers by partnering with them.  They’re able to diversify crops and spray less, knowing that our Members support them.  Plus, the fact that our food is local reduces our carbon foot print.  Our produce is always just a short drive away – 150 miles, tops!  No planes, trains or long journeys necessary.  The only way we could be more eco-friendly is if we had our farmers deliver produce on foot, but that would certainly slow down our 48 hours dirt-to-doorstep initiative, now wouldn’t it?  We focus on sustainable farming that is good for the soil, good for the crops, good for those eating the produce, and good for the environment as a whole.

Check out this article for other ways to reduce your carbon footprint; http://www.earthguardians.org/50simplethings/

To read the study’s findings for yourself, you can access the article here: http://around.uoregon.edu/content/study-suggests-organic-farming-needs-direction-be-sustainable

We hear you, feeding a family on a budget isn’t easy.  Even harder?  Feeding a family healthful and local food on a budget.  We won’t pretend that we can beat the prices of places like Kroger or Martin’s, but that truly isn’t comparing apples and apples.  Big grocery store chains bring in their food from all over the country (and really all over the world).  It’s being mass produced on factory farms thousands of miles away, so they’re able to sell it for cheap. If cost is your only concern, then a big super market will definitely be cheaper.  However, did you know, that as soon as food is harvested it begins to lose nutrients?  This means that the sooner it gets to you, the more nutritious it is.  Since grocery stores buy produce from thousands of miles away, the produce you get there isn’t as nutritious as what you get through Seasonal Roots.

As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.  Finding produce of our quality at the grocery store is tough, but the closest you’ll come is at places like Whole Foods and Fresh Market.  The produce at these places is often organic, but not necessarily locally sourced, so it still might not be very fresh.  We re-created a Breakfast Basket by shopping at these stores, to be able to show you a direct price comparison.

Seasonal Roots Breakfast Themed Basket: 

Notable:  All local, within 150 miles, and delivered to you 48 hours dirt to doorstep

1 Pint Blueberries

1/2 Pint Blackberries

Yukon Gold Potatoes

Sweet Candy Onions

Eastern Peaches

1 Dozen Pasture Raised Eggs

Kale

TOTAL: $32, plus tax with free delivery

Fresh Market Breakfast Bounty: 

Notable:  We lucked out by walking into a sale, but unfortunately that’s not always the case

1 Pint Blueberries – ON SALE – $4.99

1/2 Pint Blackberries – $4.99

Yukon Gold Potatoes – $3.11

Sweet Onions (didn’t have exact match) – $2.80

Eastern Peaches – ON SALE – $1.28

1 Dozen Pasure Raised Eggs – $5.99

Kale – $5.98

TOTAL – $29.87 w/tax

Whole Foods Breakfast Bounty:

Notable:  Whole Foods didn’t have the same type of onions or potatoes, so we subbed something comparable.  Plus, their peaches were from the west.  

1 Pint Blueberries – 5.99

1/2 Pint Blackberries – 2.99

Russet Potatoes – 3.78

Vidalia Onions – 1.94

Western Peaches – 6.35

Organic Eggs – 5.29

Kale – 5.98

TOTAL – $33.13 w/tax

So, this comparison goes to show you that if you shop at high-end stores focused on the quality of their produce, our prices are a pretty good deal, especially since we deliver it!  Plus, Fresh Market and Whole Foods sell non-local produce, from unknown farms, and there is no telling how recently it has been harvested.  We found that these stores didn’t have the variety that we do, which is why we had to sub our more unique items for more standard grocery store items.

We are happy to answer your questions about where your food is coming from, we think it is really important to know who your farmer is.   Our food is fresh, local, and sustainably grown – guaranteed.

We get the question pretty much daily, “So are your farms Certified Organic?”  It’s a hard question to answer briefly because there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes in U.S. Agriculture, and there are also a lot of misconceptions about Organic Produce.  In short, we do not require that our local farms be Certified Organic.  Does this mean that our food is less safe?  Absolutely not.  In fact, we contest that our produce is safer and packed with more nutrients than much of the Certified Organic produce that you can buy in grocery stores.

We partner with local farmers, many of whom are multi-generational.  That means that they treat their farms, crops and animals with the utmost care and respect, acting as stewards of the land.  These farmers are able to continue farming on their family farms generation after generation because their practices are sustainable.  The farmers use rotational crop systems, so as to not rob the ground of its nutrients.  The vast majority of our farms do not spray at all, because doing so would jeopardize the integrity of their land.  If they do spray, it is minimal and only as required.  For example, one of our sustainable farmers has a friend who runs a Certified Organic farm not far from him.  Last year, our farmer sprayed his yellow squash one time all season because it was necessary.  His Organic friend however, sprayed his squash on a weekly schedule using a spray that is approved by the USDA.  Our farmer isn’t considered Certified Organic, but his weekly spraying friend is allowed to use that title.  On a larger scale, “it’s important to remember that “organic” doesn’t mean the food is grown locally—it may even be grown in a foreign country and shipped to the U.S. resulting in a larger carbon footprint and smaller benefit to the environment. There’s also no guarantee that the food was produced under ideal conditions for farmers, laborers, or livestock, and an organic label has nothing to do with food safety.” [http://www.sonima.com/live-fresh/clean-diet/]

There is currently a movement called “Local First. Certification Second.”  This movement focuses on knowing your Farmer, which we at Seasonal Roots fully support.  We know our farmers; we talk with them, visit their farms, and develop relationships with them.  We do our best to share their stories with you each week, so that you can know them too, even if you don’t have time to go visit them yourself.  According to the Lexicon of Sustainability, “Knowing who grows your food locally can be more valuable than any certification or stamp of approval.”

Eating local food is so important for our health and well being because “most nutrients begin to degrade the moment a fresh piece of produce is picked, so the sooner it gets to you the better. Many studies have shown that a peach or berry picked closer to ripeness is more nutritious than a fruit—organic or not—picked before or after its peak of ripeness.” [http://time.com/2970505/organic-misconception-local/ ]  This is why we strive to get you your produce as soon as possible after harvesting.  Much of the food in grocery stores has traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to get there, losing nutrients every mile of the way.  Our food is local, which by our standards is within 150 miles of our Food Hub in Central Virginia.  It is harvested by farmers on Tuesdays and heads your way on Wednesdays and Thursdays.  48 Hours Dirt to Doorstep allows for a level of nutrient packed food that we are proud to offer.

We support our local farmers because we know and trust them and their practices.  They produce safe food for their families, our families and your families.  That is a policy that we can get behind, Certified Organic or not.  Thank you for helping us support local farmers, and our farmers show their appreciation by providing all of us with some of the very best produce and animal products within 150 miles.

Haven’t you heard not to judge a book by its cover?  Or perhaps, that beauty is only skin deep?  Unfortunately, these lessons haven’t quite reached our grocery stores.  Much of the produce harvested from farms across the U.S., is deemed too “ugly” for consumers to purchase.  For example, according to an article published by NPR, an approximate 30-35% of potatoes grown in the U.S.  have imperfections that keep them off grocery store shelves.  That’s hundreds of millions of potatoes that are wasted!  Can you imagine all the delicious mashed potatoes that could have been made?  Believe it or not, ugly potatoes taste just like pretty potatoes once they’re mashed!  But instead, they’re thrown away and sent to landfills where they benefit no one.

Food waste isn’t isolated to potatoes; Americans regularly waste edible, nutritious foods.   We squeeze and sniff each piece of produce, with only the “cream of the crop” making it into our baskets.  But what happens to that apple that has a spot on its flesh?  Wouldn’t it have been perfectly suitable in the apple pie you were going to make with it?  Instead, imperfect food is thrown away by grocery stores because it’s considered unsellable and inferior.

So what is the solution?  In some places, a “love ugly food” movement has taken off.  This movement has a basis in restaurants with creative and open minded chefs.  Some of these chefs have taken ugly food, and made it trendy.  Others, have found ways to hide less beautiful food, in soups and baked dishes where the appearance doesn’t matter in the first place.

You don’t have to pass the responsibility on to your restaurant chefs though.  In your own culinary world, you can help to waste less.  This starts when you’re choosing produce; keep in mind the journey it has taken.  You might glimpse a stereotypically “beautiful” tomato, but this tomato was likely grown and picked thousands of miles from where you are purchasing it.  This means, that this tomato was picked before it was ripe, shipped, and then artificially ripened with gas to make it appear pretty on the store shelf.  Instead, try to choose local and heirloom options.  The latter have more flavor, more nutrients, and more character.

When you’re cooking, you can also make an effort to use more of each food item you bring into your house.   Strawberry tops can be tossed into smoothies, carrot tops can be added to salads, the nutritious skin can be left on your baked potato (sweet or not!), the stems of your mushrooms and broccoli are perfectly edible, and the seeds of all types of squash can be oven roasted for a snack.  Using every edible part of produce can make a significant improvement in the amount of nutrients you gain, and a serious reduction in the amount of food wasted!

Want more ideas on how to waste less? Check out Food and Wine’s article: “7 Ways to Cook with Scraps and Help Stop Food Waste” –

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/2015/04/08/7-awesome-recipes-help-stop-food-waste?xid=blog_20150409_43486196&adbid=586272425031139329&adbpl=tw&adbpr=30278532