Filling Your Plate Locally :
Adding more than fruits and vegetables.
By: Tamara Scully

Perhaps the simplest step in the Local Foods journey is purchasing your fruits and vegetables seasonally from a local farmer. The bounty of the apple orchards, sweet corn fields, berry patches and vegetable rows is evident at the local farm stands, and visible as we travel the rural roads. Most of us, however, eat much more than fruits and vegetables each day.

What about rounding out that healthy diet with locally-grown meats, cheese made from local milk and fresh-baked, natural breads? It might take a little more of an initial effort to find these items, but the satisfaction of eating naturally-raised meats and cheeses from small, healthy herds which are grazed naturally are certainly worth it!

Expanding your local foods journey to include these items needn’t be too much of a chore. Many farmers are becoming more “market-savvy” and promoting their products at area events or in local newspapers. Some are forming cooperative groups which serve to raise awareness of their farming practices, advocate for the rights of small farmers and market their products..

Local Meats

One such group is NJ Project Grass (NJPG). The farmers of NJPG raise grass-fed livestock: chicken, pork, lamb, turkey, rabbit, goat and beef are some of the meat animals they raise. These farmers are committed to grazing the animals on fresh pasture, and selling the meat directly to the consumer.

Lou Tommaso, of Pittenger Farms, sells beef and pork raised on his pastures and fed supplemental grain grown right on the farm. His all natural meats contain no antibiotics, hormones , steroids or other “additives” commonly found in commercial meats.

Howling Wolf Farm and Danaray Farm all also belong to NJPG, and offer a variety of meats. They both practice biodynamic farming, using only all-natural farming practices with no chemicals whatsoever. DanaRay boasts milk-fed pork, as well as whole roasting chickens. The milk comes from their own herd of milk goats. Chicken is also available at Howling Wolf Farm, along with lamb and pork.

Ashley Farms raises, processes and sells their own turkeys. Raised from one day-old chicks and processed on-site in a USDA inspected facility run by farmers Larry and Scott Ashley, the turkey are overseen for their entire lifespan by the Ashley family. Sold by pre-order fresh or frozen for Thanksgiving, the Ashley family has available 5,000 turkey each season. They sell out routinely. The farm stand offers frozen turkeys and turkey parts year-round, as supplies allow.

There are many other local meat producers who sell directly to the consumer. Visit www.localharvest.org or www.eatwild.com to view a list of other farmers in the area offering meat products.

Cheese and Diary Products

Unlike commercial cheeses, local farmstead cheeses are made from grass-fed sheep, goat and/or cows raised as a part of the cheesemaker’s own herd. Artisanal cheeses are small-batch cheeses made with minimal processing. For more information on farmstead cheeses,

visit: http://www.cheesesociety.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1

Locally-made cheese from animals raised on pasture can be found at Valley Shepard Creamery. Valley Shepard’s cheeses are primarily made from raw milk, retaining the benefits of the good micro-organisms which commercially-processed and pasteurized dairy products do not. The variety of flavors and types in which these cave-aged cheeses are available guarantees there is at least one kind everyone in the family will like! Don’t forget to try their yogurt.

Due to stringent NJ regulations, it is difficult for the small farmer to offer dairy products directly to the consumer. Expenses associated with opening a creamery or other processing facility are significant. Raw milk is illegal to buy or sell in NJ. In Pennsylvania, a larger selection of dairy products is available on many small, family-operated dairies which dot the countryside. To find our more about the benefits of raw milk, visit www.realmilk.org

Grains

Buying wheat instead of white bread isn’t enough. Both are made from refined flours, stripped of their natural fiber. The refined flour also loses a large proportion of the minerals, vitamins and proteins. The flour may undergo a bleaching process. Most commercially made breads contain a laundry-list full of additives, preservatives and “unnatural” ingredients. Corn syrup, monoglycerides, calcium priopionate and other ingredients help to extend the shelf-life of the bread, and present a uniform texture and appearance.

Contrast this with whole-grain bread products. Not only is the fiber of the grain intact, other healthful ingredients such as nuts, seeds, or the use of multiple grains in making the bread enhances the nutritional value and the taste. Sweetening is done naturally, using honey or simple sugars. There is no high-fructose corn syrup. Sea salt, safflower or olive oil and sunflower seeds may round out the ingredients list.

Many supermarkets do carry all natural bread products. But read the label to ensure that it doesn’t just say “whole wheat” and yet include a whole lot of things you don’t want to put into your body. Most of the natural breads found in supermarkets aren’t locally-made. An alternative would be to seek out a local baker or farm stand offering fresh, natural breads.

Of course, finding a local bread baker that uses locally-grown grains isn’t the easiest of tasks. Check with your local farm stand and inquire as to the source of their flours. Stop and ask at the local bakery. If it isn’t grown locally, perhaps it is purchased from a regional farmer, or is “all natural,” which is better than most commercial grade breads. Your neighborhood natural foods store is sure to offer whole grain flours and other products for your baking needs.

While finding a local farmer growing and milling their own grain for retail sale will be a challenge at this time, there are many local farmers exploring ways to fill the gap in our local food system. In the future, a market for locally-grown and milled grains could be generated when consumers demonstrate the desire to purchase the grain or the finished product, and forego commercially-processed baked goods.

It is still possible, however, to add wholesome local grains to your diet. Many of our small farmers are now growing some grains. DanaRay farms and the CSG at Genesis Farms both grow amaranth. Do-it-yourselfers can grind the grain into their own flour, using a food processor or grain mill.

A good source of information is: http://www.homesteadharvest.com/article8.html

It is also an option to visit a local working gristmill and experience first-hand the process of grains being ground naturally, the old-fashioned way. The historic Cooper Gristmill, a part of the Morris County Parks System(http://www.parks.morris.nj.us/parks/coopermillmain.htm) offers a tour of the working gristmill. Included in the tour is a sample of grain ground right on the premises. This is an example - a reminder- of how vital a gristmill once was to the local agricultural community and the local economy. On a larger scale, the Littleton Grist Mill, in New Hampshire (yes, we are stretching the local definition) stone grinds only certified organic grains. Utilize Local Harvest ( www.localharvest.org) to find other sources for whole-grain flours.

While fruits and vegetables might be the easiest items to find locally-grown, there is an array of food, household and health and beauty products produced by local growers and waiting to be discovered by you! Locally-made products from sustainable business enterprises benefit our farmers by offering a market for the farm’s raw materials: fiber, milk, produce, wood and grains. Bakers, chefs, craftsmen, grist mills, small canneries and creameries can all thrive in a rural, sustainable agricultural-based economy. Local foods make real sense: for our health, for the environment, for our open spaces and our local economy. Expand your definition of local foods today. Explore the array of farm products right here in your own backyard!

Call us if you have questions (908)-362-7967