Mill Road Farms- working hard to feed the masses

With the growing trend of CSAs, farmers markets, and the idea of eating from where you live, it is important for the consumers to know why this is all going to make a huge difference in our lives.  Eating locally has so many benefits, not just for our health, but for our community as well.  With what Chef Dan is doing at the restaurant, this is not just the latest food trend, but hopefully a new way of living.   For those who have not been to a farm, or lived close to one, it can be an eye opening experience to see what really goes into growing all this produce & fruit, and how buying from your local farmer can make a world of a difference for both you & them.  Farms  need not only hard labor, but money as well. So for some farmers, the idea of selling to big chain grocers makes the most sense.  And these big chain grocers will buy in bulk, and continously throughout the year. The problem with that, is they want to spend as little as possible so their profits can be larger, so the farmer is not getting as much for his or her crop.  So how to make money that way?  You grow stuff that will last, and pesticides will be used to get the most yield, and you will be growing stuff to feed the masses, not just your community, so maybe you are getting produce from a "farmer" as some of these stores claim, but that farmer is 1500 miles away.  And that produce has been sitting in a warehouse for days and days, and then on a truck, for days & days, and then finally in the store.  How fresh is that?  As not growing up on a farm myself, it was quite the experience to pick a tomato, that has been organically grown, in local soil, and see that not only did it lack that "shine" that you are so used to from the store, but after a couple of days, it was starting to go soften.  And how I can buy one from the store, and it is still "fresh" a week & a half after purchasing it.  How is that possible, one might ask?  To really know what you are putting on your table every day, you should get to know your local farmer's markets.  Supporting the local farmer not only helps them, but you can help yourself as well. Aside from probably some of the freshest, tastiest foods you will be consuming, the fact that it is grown locally also is fantastic for your health.  And what can beat that!

Till next time, keep on growing!