buy local

i think it's safe to say that most people feel disconnected from their food. when you go to the grocery store you have this array of choices and everything comes from some unknown source and most likely, from very far away. the meat is packaged in the most presentable way possible so that you never really think about what you are eating. and maybe, that is the way that some people  cope with eating animals, but not me. i want to see what i am eating and i want to know where it has come from. whole foods, which i love but let's face it, they are also pulling the wool over our eyes, labels most of their meat with "animal welfare numbers" which lets you know what kind of life your animal lived before slaughter. they also post a daily sign that states which local farms they are featuring on any particular day. which is great and i really appreciate that but sometimes buying meat from them is out of my personal price range. no, i don't want to pay $80 (literally) for six new york strip. that to me seems a little much. local farms give you the best of both worlds, you can see your food and they don't put you through the cleaners to buy it. windy hill farm here in windham, maine has everything out there for your viewing pleasure and it's slaughtered ten minutes away. my first visit was exactly what i imagined a farm would look like, cows grazing, eating only grass, chickens running about, the way caged free really should be and a stack of honey combs where they extract their farm fresh honey along with many other wonderful items. the owners are the only ones that operate the shop and are willing to answer any ridiculous questions you may have. and yes, the food is slightly more expensive but it has to be, otherwise they would make no money.

see buying local means that you are putting your money right at the source. places like whole foods who buy local don't pay farmers quite what they should and they still mark it up. it makes me feel better to put the money right in the farmers hand. if you want good food that is raised well and grown without all the bullshit, you have to seek out these type of places and you have to become a regular customer because they are dying out slowly but surely, even though the buy local movement is catching on, it's not catching on fast enough. farms that have been established a long time, like windy hill, will keep going but it makes it difficult for anyone new to come along when their isn't any money in the business. so below i am listing a series of farms in four states: maine, new york, new hampshire and massachusetts. i am hoping that those i know and love with take heed of my commentary and go seek out these places. show them some support. another way you buy local is to keep your eyes open at places like hannaford supermarkets, they do a great job of featuring local products when in season and they mark them up only so that they can pay farmers a decent price for their produce. i don't know about you but i feel a lot better when i eat something from a half hour away rather than four thousand miles away.

massachusetts

allandale farm

259 allandale road, brookline

this is boston's last working farm, food is harvested everyday, one of my faves.

wilson farm

10 pleasant st. lexington

features: everything you could possibly want, they grow 125 different crops

new hampshire

wilson farm

144 charles bancroft hwy. litchfield

just opened recently, wide variety of veggies!

apple hill farm

580 mountain road, concord

great selection of fruit for your eating pleasure

new york

ronnybrook farm dairy

310 prospect hill road, pine plains

no worries though, you don't need to drive way out there, simply google

ronnybrook farm dairy and you will find an array of places in new york that feature their products

blue hill at stone barns

630 bedford road, pocantico hills

a place to enjoy truly amazing food straight from the farmer

maine

windy hill farm, windham

features: pumpkins & apples in fall, lettuce and asparagus in spring, an array of fresh meat.

alewive's brook farm

83 old ocean house rd, cape elizabeth

great variety of fruits, veggies & turkeys