When buying local make sure that you are buying quality local goods. If the Meat that you are buying comes with directions on how to slow cook the beef or even the suggestion that it is best cooked in a crock pot. Don’t buy it. As a consumer you need to demand the very best food for you and your family. Don’t be fooled by marketing that just states grass fed, all natural. During times of drought like we are currently experiencing here in Virginia farmers are having to cull their herd because of a lack of grass. Shrewd farmers that may have a pasture that they are not grazing can pick up cattle cheap, graze them for a few months and then take them to slaughter and package them as grass fed, all natural beef. They have no idea of the history of the animal or what it was given or fed before they bought it at auction. You should always be wary of food that comes with instructions on how to cook it so that it is edible. When buying produce, ask how it was grown. What fertilizers do you use. How do you control insects and plant diseases. If they can’t answer you questions to your satisfaction, don’t buy it. Become an educated consumer. You must demand good food from your producer. If you are a producer, it is your responsibility to grow food that is good for the consumer and good for the environment. Ask where the grains in the feed come from and how are they grown. What are the ingredients in this fertilizer. Never be afraid to ask questions of your grower or your feed and soil supplement supplier. Knowledge is power.
