Do You Wonder Where Your Food Comes From??

Even when there is snow falling, vegetable growth is taking place inside greenhouses and coldframes. Mother Nature seems to be taking full advantage of the Winter season this year as we received another 6 inches of snow this past week. With any luck the Spring will hopefully atleast start on the first day of Spring.

But vegetable production still must go on. We are a little late getting started this year with the propane prices and harsh winter we had, but we do have things growing.

Are you one that often wonders where your food comes from and how it is grown? It seems as that is a growing trend amongst the population today. Consumers are interested in hearing about the growing process and where their food comes from. There are those that want strictly organic or those who want only local. Some only go to a certain grocery store as they have only had luck with the produce or meat there. Then there are those who don't care and buy from anywhere. Whatever the case, there is a lot of interest how food is grown or raised.

Being a small farm produce grower, I have seen this at the farmers markets and talk about how our produce is grown. Our produce is grown naturally and we use organic practices. We are not certified organic. I don't choose an opinion either way as I can understand different sides, but it is important to be well educated on the matter. 

The rising technology to create better crops to help feed the very much growing world is important. From guest speaker Fred Whitford at a Farm Bureau meeting I attended this week "98 % of the population relies on 2% of the population for food." Using GMO seed is beneficial in getting better yield for your crops to provide for the ever rising population numbers. From Farmer Feeds Us, today the American farmer feeds 155 people worldwide. In 1960, one farmer fed 25.8 people.  But on another outlook, I want to provide produce that the consumers are looking for and feed my family as well with growing our produce naturally. 

With today's computer technology, it is easy to learn about different growing practices farms use. Most share their growing practices on their farm websites. The same goes for how beef and pork are raised. If you like to purchase produce from farmers markets, don't be afraid to ask the farmers how they grow. Farmers are proud of their product and don't mind talking about it. With the rise of consumers being more concerned and interested in how their food is grown, it is also important for farmers and producers to be knowledgeable in their farm practices and willing to share them.

Whatever your choice is for what you bring to your dining table, we all have one thing in common. We all need to eat, and there are farmers that produce what will fit best for you.

This is part one of a three part series. Part 2 is here