It’s a RAP

I wanna be a Stonyfield Mom.

Kudos to Stonyfield Farm CEO Gary Hirshberg for rapping eloquent the charge to clean up America’s ailing food system. I’ve been tapping my toes since this video appeared in my facebook newsfeed yesterday. You can read more about the song at the Just Eat Organic website.

Here are 5 small ways to make a big impact in your own family kitchen.

1. Join a CSA. Community Sustained Agriculture is an important way to support farmers who adhere to ethical and organic growing standards. Not only will you be buying local, fresh produce, you’ll most likely have the opportunity to meet the folks growing the food that will grace your table. Real people growing real food. Read more about CSA’s here.

2. Ditch the Box. I borrowed the phrase from my friend Kristi Willis who just launched the amazing new Ditch the Box website. Filled with recipes, tips and advice the Ditch the Box website is an encouragement to anyone trying to take the mystery out of eating. Know what’s on your plate and where it came from. And enjoy every bite.

3. Buy Organic. I know it’s redundant after watching the Just Eat Organic rap, but seriously folks take the song to heart.

4. Find a Farmers Market. Whether you have a tiny farm stand on the edge of town or a bustling Farmers Market scene, seek out a local market. If you have Littles, take them along! What starts as a field trip might just become your new shopping routine. Pick one piece of produce you don’t recognize and ask the farmer who grew it his or her favorite way to prepare.

5. Be Plant Strong! You don’t have to commit to a (crazy) 40 Day Challenge like me, but you can make small changes by adding just one more vegetable to your day. Just ONE more! Sneak some greens into a delicious smoothie. Shred a fresh turnip (a cheese grater works great!) from the market into your dinner salad. Or add parsnip, along with carrots, to your Sunday stew.

6. Grow a garden. I know I said 5 small ways to make big changes, but I love y’all and had to throw in an extra. If you are new to gardening, start with a few small containers of herbs. You will be forever spoiled having fresh herbs to clip. Even a small balcony or patio can yield a generous garden! As we speak, our own backyard garden is beginning to take shape. I’m adding potted lemon trees and coppertone loquat hedges to the mix this year. I can’t wait to make preserves from the loquat fruit later this summer. If you want to be truly inspired and encouraged visit my friend Maggie’s husband’s amazing gardening community Dig the Dirt. I love this site!

I’m still enjoying Spring Break with the Littles. Living vegan on the lake in small town Texas is tricky, but it can be done! I’ve been reading tons of cookbooks over the break and can’t wait to share the best of the best.

Love,