Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Farming, tomatoes and Joel Salatin, what life on the farm is teaching me



I remember once upon a time, dreaming of a farm, a place where food grew naturally, this place was where paradise met the rest of the world....I found that place and my dream came true...I didn't think that anything could make me more focused than what I was..farm life has.  I never considered myself a farmer, that is until now.
You see the sun has come up on our farm...metaphorically and literally....we have ourselves an amazing farm manager, Steve, who is going to growing your divine organic produce. The farm is coming together, your food is. 
You see  I think that I have been blessed with the huge responsibility in life of keeping people  healthy, that is my mission, to create, perpetuate and share real food.  This is truly one thing that creates happiness in the world, for food=life.  I must express my gratitude to you all, because its because of you and for you that this can happen....
It's so important for me to connect with you, as a farmer, at our food school and in our farm store these connections, that one's that make us a community are so important for creating the future that we want, a beautiful one, where our kids and their kids will always have access to the best freshest alive foods. 
What have I learnt in my short time on the farm, that life is miraculous...its is bigger than we could ever imagine.  That the sun rises and sets irrespective of whatever problems you think you may have, and that the people that you love, they are what truly matters...

So tomorrow evening I get to hang out with one of my food hero's, Joel Salatin of Food Inc fame.  He is a farmer that is revolutionising small scale farms the world over, with a holistic system that goes beyond organic. I look forward to seeing you if you are attending the Dumbo Feather event. For those that are not, don't despair I will be sharing Joel's wisdom.  

Speaking of farming, we have over 18 varieties of heirloom organic seedling available in the food store this week, get in quick and start your own...they don't take much to grow and will taste amazing!!!!

I hope that you have a sensational happy healthy week, thanks for all your amazing support

Angela and the team at Organic Empire
"My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman and a preacher, but every day, three times a day, you need a farmer."
Brenda Schoepp

 

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Pesticides and the Dirty Dozen

Have you tried some of our strawberries? They are so sweet and divine...and soooo good for your health.  It is so important to make sure that you eat organic strawberries whenever you can, conventionally farmed strawberries have been found with over 60 different pesticide traces, thats pretty scary.  In fact, there are many chemicals used on conventional produce that remain once harvested....strawberries are one of the worst.  The Environmental Working Group, a non for profit US group has released a foldable pdf, titled the Dirty Dozen, a list complied based on pesticide residues with recommendations for the most heavily sprayed crops. This can be downloaded HERE.  (Even though its from the US, its still relevant to us in Australia)
 
Back to the sweetness of strawberries , these little wonder fruits are one of the best sources of Vitamin C,  the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrient content of strawberries is simply outstanding. Studies have found that the intake of strawberries on aged animals increased cognitive performance and motor function. The studies I think are most interesting are the ones based on digestion with recent studies finding that strawberries can improve the digestive state of those with inflammatory bowel problems including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.  
 

Come into the shop this week for some great specials on strawberries and lots of other divine produce.  We also have tempeh, yoghurts and cheeses in stock.

I hope that you have a sensational happy healthy week, thanks for all your amazing support

Angela and the team at Organic Empire XX


'Right now, this moment is the only one we're guaranteed. We make lists and plans.
 We think we know what we'll do tomorrow, next week, next month. But really...all we have is right now. All we ever have is one wonderful now after another. So in this one golden moment of precious life-pick the strawberries.'
AUTHOR UNKNOWN  
ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC FOOD MELBOURNE, LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD, ORGANIC FOOD STORE, ORGANIC FOOD SCHOOL, ORGANIC EMPIRE