I had the pleasure of previewing the new documentary “Farmers for America” yesterday with a group of other local farmers. This was an emotional up and down experience for me because the film covered just about every aspect of my own dreams and fears about the future of farming in the United States. There were three take-away realizations this farming documentary made evident to me by the end of this film that will affect not only my future potential for continuing as a farmer, but the future potential for young adults to get into farming, and the results of what could happen to the food supply if they don’t.

We live in a rural area that is categorized as a food desert, so when the local produce season is over, finding good quality veggies can be a challenge, even in chain supermarket stores.

It is not uncommon to see grocery store produce coolers practically empty, so stocking up on fresh veggies is a must. Problem #2 is when there are veggies at the local stores, they rarely are fresh.  So when we do find a bargain featuring quality veggies, we stock up and freeze for the future.

In a world in which so many eating lifestyles exist, can one lab built burger be marketed as “one burger for all food lifestyles”? The new burger introduced in grocery stores is the Beyond Burger which aims to recruit a mass market by simulating the look, feel, and taste of a meat burger.  

One of the responses I often hear from customers at our market booth when discussing indoor plants is “I can't have house plants because I have a cat”. I totally sympathize with this statement because as an owner of two active dark tabby cats, I understand how curious and playful cats can be and house plants seem to be their playground. Read on to discover some simple tips to keep plants away from curious cats.

By planting a miniature garden and adding some fairy accessories, you can create a container garden with a purpose.   Miniature gardens with specific themes, such as a fairy garden, are swiftly becoming an emerging trend for year-round gardening enjoyment. Beach, camping, and farm scenes are trendy for outdoor summer gardens. Holiday  figurines can accent an indoor mini garden to change with the seasons.

Air Plants are a revitalized tropical gardening trend as both interior and outdoor plants. The trick for successful air plant care is to duplicate the humidity in their natural growing environment. Find out what home gardeners need to know about caring for air plants.

Does the broccoli served on your plate still have the same original nutritional qualities after harvest and distribution to the consumer market? The answer is ‘maybe’, depending on how many days it was stored after harvest and how the vegetable is prepared for eating. Broccoli carries a big bang of nutrition when picked fresh from the garden or when grown as broccoli microgreens or sprouts.

The delicate and tiny nature of washing microgreen leaves can cause a soggy mess and create a dilemma in making a decision whether or not to wash them before use. Any fresh food produce that ages in the refrigerator is subject to additional bacteria that occurs during the natural aging process. Therefore modern food hygiene guidelines warn consumers to wash fresh produce before consumption even if the manufacturer makes claims the produce has been pre-washed. In this blog I will share some of the ideas I have received from market customers and my own experimentation to show how microgreens can be washed before serving by following a few simple tips.