Saturday, March 12, 2011

Farm

I have been on a changing path the last year or so: the more I learn about Big Food and CAFO beef and the like, the more I am terrified to eat foods produced in that way. I have been planning a more locavore lifestyle, hoepfully to go into effect this spring once the Farmers' Markets open. Thankfully, Daddy has borne this well and is taking it with good humor, and Dakin doesn't care.

We made the first big step towards locavory yesterday, by visiting a local farm that produces the most amazing grass-fed beef...wow. I am salivating. But I digress. Anyway, I asked if the farm would mind if I brought Dakin up to see the animals, and they happily agreed. Dakin was so excited all the way up, saying he was going to see cows and sheep and chickens and horses. He had a wonderful time (once he relaxed and realized he was actually there to have fun and this wasn't a cleverly designed RSV shot deception) watching the cows, pigs, and especially the chickens. Just look at this! Animals not shoulder to shoulder and standing in their own waste, and allowed to graze on what they will. Totally the way it was meant to be.

Anti-Big Food rhetoric aside, Dakin really enjoyed looking at these pigs. They are nicknamed the "Three Little Pigs," which is Dakin's favorite story, so he was digging that. Dakin got to watch this little guy get bottle fed. We asked him what he thought the calf was eating, and he said, "yogurt."

It's important to me that Dakin know where food comes from. I don't want him to grow up thinking hamburgers come from McDonalds.

Anyway, thanks so much to Shady Grove Ranch. We loved it and we will be back!!

4 comments:

April said...

What a fun and educational experience!

zvonejn said...

hey very interesting post..keep up the good work. ;)

Kristen said...

Looks awesome!! We have started ordering our meat from a local farm too but have yet to visit it like Dakin! : )

Dan said...

Well done showing your child where food comes from. I think it's important for kids to learn about food and what's healthy.

Looks like he had some fun too!