Switching to only local or home grown produce?

[Anonymous]

Food safety has already been dicey in this country the last few years and I am sure the incoming administration will relax food safety regulations even further. I already grow all my veggies, herbs, and greens at home and I just signed up for a CSA that has a weekly veggie/fruit delivery and a monthly meat delivery. I would love to eventually switch to getting all my products locally but I am not made of money so I plan to continue getting my dairy/eggs/pantry items from the grocery store for now. Anyone else made this switch successfully?

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

[Anonymous]

Yes I do all CSA and have layer hens and bees.

[Anonymous]

I live in California and it's very common here to buy locally (I think local is defined as being within 150 miles of where you live). I do buy my eggs from Trader Joe's, but they're coming from a farm within that local range. Because I happen to live in a big farming state, I can buy most of my produce, meat, and dairy locally.

If I couldn't, I would focus on what the laws ARE , rather than on what they might BECOME, and look at the treatment of the animals and produce wherever they are, and wash all produce upon getting it home before consuming. FYI, a lot of farms operate very close to the line, and as such can't afford the "organic" designation though they grow all their food organically. You have to pay to get inspected and be certified as organic, so it's good to read the specific farms' websites, and/or talk to them at farmer's markets to find out how they handle pest control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

Wouldn't you think a small local farm that you could actually go and visit would be safer than a factory farm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

Wouldn't you think a small local farm that you could actually go and visit would be safer than a factory farm?

No. To the contrary, the bigger the more likely it’s seen a USDA inspector on a regular basis.

That said, I still prefer it but I am most likely to get sick from small farm food, it’s just fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

Wouldn't you think a small local farm that you could actually go and visit would be safer than a factory farm?

No. To the contrary, the bigger the more likely it’s seen a USDA inspector on a regular basis.

That said, I still prefer it but I am most likely to get sick from small farm food, it’s just fact.

Care to cite some sources on that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

Wouldn't you think a small local farm that you could actually go and visit would be safer than a factory farm?

No. To the contrary, the bigger the more likely it’s seen a USDA inspector on a regular basis.

That said, I still prefer it but I am most likely to get sick from small farm food, it’s just fact.

Care to cite some sources on that?

I’ve farmed for 40 years, google it yourself if you prefer information from the Internet.

[Anonymous]

Small farms are exempt from many food safety regulations, specifically FSMA and PSR. So many of these places can and do have practices below what you’d find at a larger operation. It also costs more to implement food safety and it is often skipped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you think the CSA is magically safer than any other farm in the country.

Wouldn't you think a small local farm that you could actually go and visit would be safer than a factory farm?

No. To the contrary, the bigger the more likely it’s seen a USDA inspector on a regular basis.

That said, I still prefer it but I am most likely to get sick from small farm food, it’s just fact.

Probably inspected. That's about it. The USDA isn't closing down anything.

[Anonymous]

Yes, but I live in an area where it’s not terribly difficult to do that. I’ve gotten a CSA for years and years. Local sources for dairy, eggs, meat. We have yet to become ill from any food-borne pathogens, and I know we are directly contributing to the livelihood of others in our community- a win/win.

[Anonymous]

This only works in places like California. You're not getting good produce in Virginia in February.

[Anonymous]

Check your csa for eggs, my previous one would offer them. I miss my CSA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Food safety has already been dicey in this country the last few years and I am sure the incoming administration will relax food safety regulations even further. I already grow all my veggies, herbs, and greens at home and I just signed up for a CSA that has a weekly veggie/fruit delivery and a monthly meat delivery. I would love to eventually switch to getting all my products locally but I am not made of money so I plan to continue getting my dairy/eggs/pantry items from the grocery store for now. Anyone else made this switch successfully?

I’m surprised a CSA with meat doesn’t have eggs. You can get eggs at the Farmers Markets.

[Anonymous]

You to have to adjust to using seasonal recipes. I use the cookbook simply in season. We eat what is available locally. Right now it’s sweet potatoes, squash, potatoes, brussel sprouts, cabbage, potatoes, broccoli, etc.
if you do research on the farms you purchase from, you can see if there are cattle farms upstream and avoid that farm.