Monday, March 31, 2008

Eating Local in Colorado

The Colorado growing season is starting to take root and I can't wait. Last summer my husband and I visited a local farm using "zero impact" agriculture methods to grow the most delicious, satisfying local produce I've ever tasted. When I eat fresh organic vegetables and fruits I need to keep a napkin handy because they burst with water and flavor. Organic vegetables and fruits make conventional fruits and vegetables taste like Styrofoam blocks in comparison to organic live foods. I didn’t think eating vegetables could taste any better until I tried the produce from Willow Grove Farms in Castle Rock, Colorado. Located just off Highway 85, Willow Grove Farms is oddly sandwiched between Castle Pines and a large new-home development in Castle Rock called The Meadows.

Willow Grove is a sustainable farm whose compact rows of vegetables and herbs takes up little space and minimal water but provides ample supply and abundant flavor. I created the most interesting, nutrient rich salads using their spring greens.

If you are interested in eating local, whether it is to reduce your carbon footprint, support local farms, or to eat fresher foods to get the most nutrient benefits possible but you do not want to maintain your own garden then I strongly encourage you to visit the Willow Grove Farms website to find out about their delivery schedule. Their season hasn't started yet but soon they will offer succulent greens followed by other vegetables and herbs. Sign up them now to find out which vegetables are in season and are available.

Just how helpful is eating local for the environment and our dependence on petroleum?"If every U.S. citizen ate just one meal a week (any meal) composed of locally and organically raised meats and produce, we would reduce our country’s oil consumption by over 1.1 million barrels of oil every week. That’s not gallons, but barrels."
- Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver (2007) p. 5

Safe Green Living

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