get into the local food movement!

I've always loved to cook. I spent my earliest years at my great-grandmother's side watching her cook for her family, church bake sales, and holidays. The skills that I learned from watching and helping her will always be one of my greatest treasures. A couple of years ago, my interest in cooking led me to become more interested in where my food was coming from, how to make it healthier, making things from scratch, and even making some of the base ingredients if I could like grinding my own wheat or making homemade mayo. I've always looked at cooking as a giant science experiment and a way for me to show my creativity and ingenuity. I started researching how accessible wheat would be, how hard it would be to grind it at home and if it could even be done. I came across a website to the Oklahoma Food Co-op. I couldn't believe the abundance of made in Oklahoma products there. With the click of a mouse I had access to that wheat I was looking for and then some. I found local meat that I could buy individually or in bulk, vegetables, plants, seeds for herbs and gardens, bread, and even fruit tree wood to use in my smoker. I signed up quickly and was completely impressed with the quality products I received. I also loved reading the stories of some of the producers that were members. Many had been farming for several generations and explained in detail the care they take in raising their products. Buying from the co-op was something I really could feel good about, and it was the catalyst for my continuing interest in the local food movement that is becoming more and more popular as our economy spirals out of control and environmental issues come to the forefront. The local food movement is something that has become near and dear to my heart. Buying products locally helps us to reduce our carbon footprints and supports your local economy. Below are some websites that are great for finding local farms, producers and products in Utah, Oklahoma and across the nation. Check them out and give some of the products a try if you can. You won't be disappointed!



http://www.oklahomafood.coop/

http://www.localharvest.org/

http://utahsown.utah.gov/