Raw Milk
It all started in my 3rd pregnancy. While expecting Jacob I often went to Issaquah to see my midwife for my prenatal visits. Charlene was in the process of building her own birthing center & saw her clients in an apartment she rented temporarily. The apartment complex happened to be next to the Front Streed Red Apple Market. While driving by the market, I would often see the signs, "Get you raw milk here!" The sign made me curious: why would someone want to drink raw milk (isn't it dangerous?) & why was it more expensive than "regular" milk (there must be something special about it)? I first read about raw milk on Dr. Mercola's website. I mostly remembered the FDA going after the raw milk farmers for supposedly endangering the public & citing that raw milk was unsafe. I then read about benefits of raw milk on the Healthy Home Economist's blog as well as the Weston A. Price Foundation's project called A Campaign for Real Milk & decided to give it a try.
At first I bought 1/2 gallon bottles of raw milk at the Red Apple Market for $5.99 each (this began after Jacob was already 2-3 months old, so it took me a while). I would drive to Issaquah once a week & buy my milk. At first, I saved it for my kids (Sophia was in her milk-loving phase & drank it for breakfast, lunch & dinner). I gave small amount to her at first & then waited for her to develop diarrhea. It didn't happen, so it made me braver. Pretty soon, Sophia & Gerritt began drinking raw milk exclusively. I followed soon. I never liked milk, but the taste, color & texture of raw milk were way more appealing. I became curious about the Dungeness Valley Creamery I saw listed on the milk bottle label. Simple Google search directed me to their website where I learned that not only could I buy their milk at the Red Apple Market, but also pick it up at a drop off point in Bellevue. I emailed the Creamery & received the Bellevue Milk Depot contact information. A few emails later, I found Diane (the depot coordinator). I have been picking up raw milk from her house every week ever since (for $8.25 per gallon). All I have to do is to punch in a security code into Diane's garage door, get my milk, sign for it & then close the garage door before I leave. So easy!
Pastured Eggs
Thanks to the Healthy Home Economist, I learned that the store-bought organic eggs I've been faithfully buying are not as healthy as they are made out to be. Not only the egg labeling is confusing for an average consumer (cage-free, free-range & organic), but organic label doesn't guarantee the humane treatment of hens (although their feed is organic, many of them never set foot outdoors). I have stopped spending my hard earned dollars on the omega-3 fortified organic eggs at least a year ago (thanks to the article from Dr. Mercola) since most chickens producing these eggs are fed poor-quality sources of omega-3s which are already oxidized (or rancid).
I've learned that the only way to find truly healthy eggs is to buy them from a local farmer whose practices allow the chickens to roam free & eat insects (the eggs from such chickens are called pastured). I've seen the pastured eggs on sale at PCC Natural Markets (for $7.99/dozen, from the Misty Meadows Farm) & at Haggens near my house (for $9.69/dozen). I found the price to be prohibitive so I've decided to find a more affordable pastured egg source. It took me a few weeks, but one Saturday morning in October I visited the Farmer's Market in Redmond & was very excited to meet the owner of the Sky Valley Family Farm. Her eggs were not only more affordable ($4.75 for a dozen of extra large pastured eggs & $6.50 for a dozen of pastured duck eggs), but were available all year round. Just like with grass-fed milk all I have to do is to drop by another real foodie's house, drop the money in the locked box & pick up eggs from the self-serve fridge on the porch of his house. The eggs are delivered on Friday morning & are available on the first come, first buy basis.
Grass-fed beef
I used to buy my grass-fed beef at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods & Costco. Even though Trader Joe's ground beef is grass-fed, it is certainly not local. The $6.49/lb package states the beef is from the US, Canada, Australia & Uruguay. It's definitely too far to be considered local. I refuse to give any more of my money to Whole Foods since they put profits above their customer's health. They haven't been very forthcoming about so many of their products containing GMOs & source much of their supposedly "organic" produce from China (!). Although Costco's organic (NOT grass-fed) beef is certainly affordable at $4.25/lb, I simply don't like its taste & texture. The beef is processed in the US, however, it's sourced from the US, Canada & Australia. Encouraged by my relatively easy find of the local raw milk source, I turned to EatWild to find a local grass-fed beef farmer.
The number of farms listed under the Pastured Products Directory for Washington state was simply overwhelming, so I clicked on the EatWild Washington map & narrowed my search to several farms located the closest to my town. I've made contact with 3 of them, but settled on the Skagit River Ranch. The farm provides certified organic grass-fed beef, certified organic pork & lamb as well as pastured chickens & eggs. Prices range from $6.50/lb for ground beef to $31/lb for tenderloin. Once I became a member of the Farm's buyer's club, I received a password to access the online ordering system. I can specify the type of meat, cut, quantity & even make special requests (e.g, pork lard or beef organ meats). Even though the Farm is located in Skagit Valley (about 1.5-hour drive north of Seattle), I get my order delivered to a private home in my city once a month. All meat cuts come individually prepackaged & labeled, vacuum sealed & flash-frozen & ready for my freezer.
Of course, I had to learn about beef glossary, cuts & recommended for each cooking methods. Beef Made Easy chart came in super handy. The Skagit River Ranch's beef was fresh & amazingly flavorful, & I was pleasantly surprised by its deep red color. Healthy, local & convenient!
Lowline Alps Ranch turned out to be another good local source of grass-fed beef. The Ranch also delivers one's online order to a prearranged central location once a month.
Diane, my raw milk depot coordinator, introduced me to her friend Ava Denton from the Paradise Ranch in Oregon. Former Microsoft employee now pursuing her dream of owning her own farm, Ava raises pastured beef, lamb & chickens. She conveniently travels to Seattle area once a month bringing her trailer with several freezers full of goodies. In addition to meat, I bought raw butter from her. My 3-year-old daughter Sophia has now become an official butter addict & loves nothing more than eating a gluten-free toast with "lots of butter."
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
I came to find the Dog Mountain Farm located in Carnation, WA by accident as well (although I now believe there are no accidents; the universe will eventually give you what you want if you want it badly enough). This summer I sampled & then bought a delicious jam from the Farmer's Market in Bellevue. It had a unique flavor, & when I looked at the ingredient list I saw "Dog Mountain Farm quince." I googled the farm & was so impressed with its website I signed up for its newsletter. That is how I learned about its CSA program a few months later. CSA is a partnership between a local farmer & a group of shareholders who pledge to buy a portion of the farm's crop. Since I love to visit Farmer's Markets & shop for fresh fruits & vegetables myself, I only signed up for 20 weeks of protein package delivery (meat, eggs & raw goat milk). I also pre-ordered my Thanksgiving turkey & Christmas goose. The one-time price of $20 for a weekly home delivery couldn't be beat.
Although took a little bit of arranging in the beginning, I now love to provide my family with high-quality & nutritious food. I also love supporting my local farmers & the environment.
Resources:
1) How To Find Local Food & Farmers by Mother Earth News
2) Cut Cost, Not Quality: How To Afford Better Food by Tabitha Alterman from Mother Earth News
3) PickYourOwn.org
4) If You Eat These Eggs, You Are Being Ripped Off by Dr. Mercola
5) Why Organic Store Eggs Are a Scam by Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist
6) Real Milk: A Campaign for Real Milk (pasture-fed, unprocessed, full-fat)
7)Think Fat-Free Milk Is Healthy? 6 Secrets You Don't Know About Skim by Butter Believer
8) Whole Foods: The Walmart of Healthfood by Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist
9) How to Buy Eggs by Holistic Squid
