Critters in the Cauliflower

Check out these little fellows I found living on my organically-grown, local cauliflower from WSF

Cauliflower Critters

Hope they enjoy the compost pile! Maybe they’ll make friends.

Extreme close up

I must admit that I am quite proud of myself. I used to be MUCH more squeamish than I am now. The sight of these worms a few years ago would have sent me screaming.When I found them on Sunday, I calmly removed them from the cauliflower, slipped them into the compost bin (there were 4 in total), and wished them well. I tell you, you can’t buy that kind of excitement at the grocery store! Yay for real food and CSAs!

Have you found anything unexpected in your organic produce?

How Timely: Mutant Red Grapes

Would love to know what exactly happened to this mutant bunch of conventionally grown red grapes?

Mutant Conventionally Grown Red Grapes - sourced from Fresh Direct

Mutant Conventionally Grown Red Grapes – sourced from Fresh Direct

I have no clue how these grapes were cultivated, but something clearly went cataclysmically wrong here. The grapes are crammed up against one another, not dangling from the stems. And the main stem is totally gnarled.

Mutant Conventionally Grown Red Grapes – sourced from Fresh Direct – See main stem

It’s just plain weird and kinda scary. I ordered these grapes from Fresh Direct, a local online grocer. I bought these grapes because they were on sale (busted), foregoing organic for an attractive price point. What a nasty surprise I got, and oh so timely after the release of the Stanford study on organic food v conventional. Forgot more nutritious, I just want a bunch of grapes to look like a bunch of grapes!

I can’t wait to get back to the farm tomorrow. Wolfe Spring CSA, here I come!

I Never Thought Eating Organic Was More Nutritious per se…Did You?

Stanford scientists published a much talked about study this week entitled, “Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review.” The conclusion of the study states, “The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”

There has been a lot of talk about this because many folks are under the assumption that eating organic is more nutritious. The NY Times had an interesting piece on it as well. Here is a link to the article. I was honestly surprised to hear that. When I choose to purchase organic foods or products, it is for preventative reasons. I want to avoid the bad stuff, like pesticide residue and bacteria and who knows what else mentioned above. I also have a hidden hope that the produce will taste better, more like real fruits and vegetables should taste (not always the case). But, I have never thought that they’d be more vitamin and nutrient-laden.

If you buy organic, what is your motivation? I’m curious to hear.

Go USA! Sunday Night Dinner featuring Red, White and Blue

Hubs and I had a simple summer dinner tonight featuring our locally sourced goodies.

  • Early Corn Chowder served cold to start  the meal (left over from last night’s dinner). Tastes even better on day 2T
  • Arugula salad with Shaved Parmiggiano and Cherry Tomatoes, dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. The arugula was a treat from our friend Steve’s farm, Berkshire Bounty Farm, tomatoes from yesterday’s CSA pick-up
  • Finished off with Macerated Strawberries and Blueberries, pictured below. The strawberries were grown in our friend Nash’s greenhouse and the blueberries were local, though not certified organic. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and it’s heaven
  • Red, White and Blue: strawberries, blueberries and vanilla ice cream

    GO USA!!!

Buyer Beware, or the Politics of Food

So you thought you were doing good by eating organic? Well, organic has gone mainstream, or rather, the way of agribusiness. So if you selected organic produce or foods for social reasons, buyer beware.

What’s a responsible, socially conscious consumer to do? It is tough when you are pulled in many directions, but it’s hard to feel holy when you realize that most supermarket organic brands like Stonyfield Farm yogurts, Kashi cereals and Naked Juice juices are all owned by big corporations. I have no beef with big companies, it is merely that consumers need to realize that the certified organic seal of approval refers to the methods used to grow or produce the food. It does not refer to the size of the farm, or the type of ownership. Merely because a head of lettuce was grown on an organic farm does not mean that it’s hand-picked from a mom and pop, old time-y farmstead with a big wrap-around porch.  It’s still a good thing for your body, so yes, feel good about that. You are consuming food that is pesticide-free and from a farm that has been regulated as such, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you are supporting the independent farmer. Read the label and inform yourself before making any assumptions, particularly when shopping in the grocery store.

You can read more in this recent article from the NY Times entitled, “Has Organic Been Oversized?”

Last Day of June for CSA Pick-up

A veritable bounty of veggies picked up at Wolfe Spring Farm today. Also had the pleasure of showing our good friend Milly Robertson and her delightful boys around. We checked in on the piggies, chicks, chickens, 2 week old kid goats, and doggies.

I spent the last 3 hours chopping, sauteeing, roasting and prepping it all. Hubs nearly killed me when I turned on the oven since it’s a toasty 90 degree day.Will post later on what I prepared from the bounty below.