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Farming is a lot like wearing pants.
Some elevate the ordinary, and others are just ugly.
The same applies to the practices and processes that take our food from farm to table.
Farmers just outside Chicago are growing, raising and harvesting the dairy, meat, and produce we serve our families every day, and through the Illinois Farm Families City Moms (formerly Field Moms) program, are sharing no-holds-barred access to their farms.
Three years ago, I had the opportunity to be part of the year-long flagship program that was just planting seeds in the social media sphere in an effort to answer the questions parents-as-consumers have about real food, GMOs, organics, and technology in farming.
I learned what prime, choice, and select grades mean when it comes to meat (it’s a ranking from highest to lowest); that the Market Day Ranch Steaks we order every month come from a packing plant in Aurora, IL, which includes meat from some of the very cattle I saw firsthand on a farm tour; and that farmers and veterinarians are working to reduce antibiotic use in cattle by focusing on good nutrition and the use of vaccines in comprehensive preconditioning programs before they get big enough for us to eat.
Our group toured a dairy farm, hog farm, cattle farm, and got a front row seat during the corn harvest. In a combine. We saw piglets being born, visited Monsanto, talked to experts in the agricultural field, and heard from generations of family farmers.
As a result, I can make more informed decisions at the grocery store, better understand all things USDA, and share what I’ve learned with other food-curious parents.
Consider learning more about farms by applying to the 2015 City Moms program, and be sure to check out farm tour recaps from current and alumni moms at watchusgrow.org.
Photo credits: IL Farm Families (logo only), DGOE
I admit, I try to gloss over a lot of this. There are too many options and too many labels and too many things I don’t know and can’t know. I try to do the best I can for our family!
We’re super label conscious, but I think a lot of that stems from the fact that my oldest has food allergies, which makes being vigilant critical. My mom actually encouraged me to read labels when I was younger as well, so I think it some of it just became habit more than anything else.
But never fear! We’ll be offering some easy ways to better understand labeling, so even when you’re time-crunched, you can feel better informed about what you’re feeding your family.
Yeah, I’m kind of like an ostrich in this area. What I don’t know might be better for me. Not a good way to make choices, I know.
Please be sure to ask us any questions you might have in terms of the whole farm to table idea, so we can be sure to answer in subsequent posts. We’re all about de-bunking and demystifying