Building From the Ground Up
Preparing the soil with compost and Azomite
What makes our organic locally grown food so great? We put tender, loving care into all parts of the growing process. We start by creating the best soil we can by using our own compost and amending the soil with AZOMITE®, a natural product mined from an ancient mineral deposit in Utah. Azomite typically contains a broad spectrum of over 70 minerals and trace elements, distinct from any other mineral deposit in the world. As a result, our organic locally grown food has extra nutrients that the stuff at the store may not have.
Next, we choose heirloom seeds purchased from Seed Savers, Inc., an organization dedicated to conserving and promoting America’s culturally diverse but endangered garden and food crop heritage. We fertilize with fish emulsion, seaweed, and agricultural molasses and control pests with barrier methods. Finally, we harvest the day we deliver to ensure the freshest produce possible. All produce is washed and packaged to maximize its shelf life.
Is That a Bug Hole?!?
Summer squash that has had its row cover removed
Why does our organic locally grown food have imperfections? Because it is organic, there may be some bug holes in it. There is no danger in eating food that a bug may have munched on. In fact, many cultures in the world won’t eat veggies that don’t have bug holes. They know that if the bugs won’t eat it, they shouldn’t either. As a culture, Americans have become accustomed to perfect fruits and vegetables that are all the same size, color, shape and blemish-free. The only way to grow this type of produce is through the systematic, chemical-dependent approach used by commercial farming operations, which we certainly are NOT! There is even some evidence that plants with bug holes may actually be more nutritious (read more here).
How Long Will My Produce Last?
Dwarf Blue Curly Kale
The good news is that our organic locally grown food is not sprayed with the kinds of preservative chemicals that the stores use. That list can include:
- Lipids (waxes, oils, stearic acid)
- Resins (such as shellac and wood rosin)
- Polysaccharides (such as cellulose, pectin, starch, carrageenan, and chitosan)
- Proteins (such as casein, soy, and corn-zein)
- Common additives to these base materials include:
- Plasticizers (such as polyethylene glycol, glycerol, and “other cross-linking agents”)
- Antimicrobials
- Antioxidants
- Texturizers (to customize the film for the particular product)
Even organic produce purchased at the supermarket may have coatings applied. How do you think they are able to pick it, wash it, tag or bag it, transport it, etc. before it spoils? Our veggies and fruits are picked at the peak of freshness. We encourage you to use them quickly, usually within a week unless it is a hardier veggie like a winter squash. The nutrients of all fruits and vegetables begin to break down as soon as you pick them and I’m sure you’ll want to maximize their potential.
What about GMOs?
non-GMO
Our organic locally grown food is 100% non-GMO. GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are organisms that are genetically altered, usually at the seed level. Some GMOs contain a terminator gene which actually STERILIZES the seeds so that they must be purchased from year to year. Some have pesticides built in to ward of bugs and others are engineered to be resistant to chemical herbicides. In addition, GMOs wreak havoc on your gut flora, which is essential for healthy digestion and absorption of nutrients. Since these plants are altered at the gene level, these destructive traits can’t simply be rinsed away. Considering that we are what we eat, does any of that sound healthy for your body? GMOs weren’t even present in our produce before 1994, but now they are in over 75% of all food on grocery store shelves – that’s ALL food, not just produce.
We want to share our nutritious, organic locally grown food with other families. We believe so strongly in the value of good food that we want to make it easy for other families to eat this way. Check out the Market Page to see what is available. Your satisfaction with our products is guaranteed or we will gladly give you a refund. We like to steal Bluebell’s motto, “We eat all we can and sell the rest…”