Healthy Eating

Here are my kids at a local fruit orchard, Lyman Orchards, in Middlefield, CT. This is one of many different orchards/farms we have been to in the local area to show kids where their food really comes from. My kids not only pick the fruit, but they eat as they go. On a blueberry picking excursion, I think all of my son's blueberries went in his belly instead of his bucket!

I know a lot of people buy organic, and while I would LOVE to, it just is not in our budget to do that. I'm pretty proud of the fact that we rarely have junk food in our house and are really careful about how often our kids have treats, and when they get  treat, how much they get. I've been known to say "you get 5 MnMs because you are 5."  I also once flipped out at my mom in front of my entire family because she was letting my daughter eat cookies one holiday but she hadn't eaten her real food! Anyway, we are big on lots of veggies and fruits and rarely do we have "prepared foods" for our meals. Frozen veggies and instant brown rice, yes, frozen meals, no.

In the interest of health and supporting local business, I have been wanting to join a CSA for awhile, and because of some other things that came up, was unable to do it... until now! I was really excited to find out that a farm stand (Fair Weather Acres)within 5 minutes from my house was offering shares and half-shares. What I'm most excited about (besides the fact that it is really close to my house) is that besides offering veggies from their farm, they are also including fruit from local orchards in their offerings each week.

I always wanted to be able to support local agriculture, but the cost always kept me from buying at farmer's markets. When I look at the cost of the CSA and all that I would get, even in a half-share, it seems way worth it. Between the CSA and our own garden, we are going to have some awesome summer and fall of healthy food at a great price!