Surrounded by wealth

As far back as I can remember, God has always provided amazing people for me to look up to. In running, there were always those faster and stronger for me to look up to and emmulate. In piano, there's always musicians in my life that have been or are inspiring and amazing. In mommyhood, there's always been mom's who challenge me to be better.

It goes on and on.

It's no different now. We are trying hard to eat and purchase things as local as we can and as organic as we can. We have finally gotten into a good rhythym of eating after years of trying, that is healthy and works for our systems, keeping us chugging along well and vibrant. But...

• I could definitely grow more of our own food
• Make more of our own food
• Find local sources for even more of our food

We just ordered our 1/4 of an organic, free-range, pasture fed (no grain) cow from a local lady that I have loved getting to know. SHe has a small operation, just selling by word of mouth. No Concentrated Feed Lot meat for us. Sustainable practices for our earth, bodies, and the animals are real choices that we can all make. This link is a quick look at CAFOs and sustainable food choices: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/

I have local friends that I buy organic veggies from. It's wonderful. Today the kids and I did our weekly trek to their farm and came home with fingerling potatoes, swiss chard, zucchini, beets, corn, beet greens, mixed greens, and bell peppers. All organic. All local. And all fresh. I chatted with Farmer Rob all morning and got to show the kiddos exactly who grew their food, where it was grown, and a bit of how it was grown. And then I handed my FRIEND money!! Not some conglomerate, where food is shipped thousands of miles, using tons of petroleum just to get it to my store shelf, but instead, I handed money to my FRIEND, for his well being in my own town!!

Then we went off to the little older couple we love to get our raw goat milk. Handed them our money, petted the goats with the kids, and made a date to come back next week with the whole family to help them milk the goats.

It felt good but the 3rd errand of the day included sock purchases at Wal-Mart where we had no choice but to buy "Pakistan" and "Honduras" made socks. Any local sock makers around? I'll happily drive to your house and get them. My money just got sucked into the Wal-Mart Cauldron - not sure who it's going to benefit, but at least my Wildman Sprout's feet will be cozy in his shoes, I sadly reasoned.

I try to improve our purchasing dollar direction but it's one step at a time.

It's nice that in my home town, I am surrounded by lots of great friends that grow amazing gardens of all sizes. I have much to learn, and am surrounded by a wealth if knowledge in the people I know. Check out http://creatinggoodsoil.blogspot.com/ . Featured their is one of those friends God Has blessed me with that knows so much about cultivating the earth. A few streets away from her is our friend, Jen, who shocks and awes me with all she knows about canning, soap making, gardening, quilting...and up the road our friend Ruth cultivates the prettiest garden with winding paths throughout it. All of us nearly giggle when the parsley and oregano of last year reseed and come back to life the next summer.

Then there's my own dad, wildlife and fisheries biologist himself, who has always cultivated large gardens, orchards, and proudly displays something in bloom every day of the year in his yard.

It makes it easier to try to eat right and grow good food and stay active when it's the norm for those around you for sure.

Sigh**** I have so much to learn!!

I am off to boil the milk for our latest pursuit - learning how to make our own cheese!! Can't wait to get rid of the preservatives that come with store cheese and make our own organic cheese, made from goats milked in a nearby farm this morning!