REAL FOOD:
Find local sources for real food.
- Eat Wild
- A great source for finding local, healthy, natural, and nutritious grass-fed meat, poultry, and dairy. Find a local farmer by using their state-by-state map and listing in the Directory of Farmers.
- Also includes information on the benefits of raising animals in a traditional way.
- Local Harvest
- Find local farms, farmers' markets, CSAs, and other sustainably grown food in your area.
- Michigan sources can be found at the bottom of this page.
Looking to learn more about eating healthy, natural food? You may find these sites helpful.
- The Meatrix
- A humorous spoof on "The Matrix" movie that educates on the hazards of factory farming.
- The site contains a lot of basic information on what actually occurs at factory farms and all of the harmful things contained in factory farmed food.
RAW MILK:
The benefits of drinking raw milk are just amazing! Read about why our family made the switch here. Below you will find some helpful resources to educate you on the many health benefits of raw milk.
- Real Milk
- A campaign for real milk.
- Find educational information and sources for raw milk listed by state.
- Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
- The FTCLDF provides specialized legal assistance and expert advice on best practices for farm production and food processing. It also promotes sustainable farming and direct farm-to-consumer sales.
- Farm to Consumer Foundation
- A non-profit organization provides financial support to the FTCLDF. Also promotes safe/best practices for raw milk production and direct access to local food in order to restore the economic health of the family farm.
- Michigan Fresh Unprocessed Whole Milk Workgroup
- This group was established to answer the question: Where do we want to be in 3-5 years on access to fresh, unprocessed whole milk? The group desires clear direction with clear public policy regarding access to fresh, unprocessed whole milk. Topics and questions were formulated and are being discussed and debated by participants. Material is posted to the website as consensus is reached.
BOOKS: Here is a listing of books I've read that I've found to be very helpful and to contain great information on a variety of subjects.
- Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon
- Real Food: What to Eat and Why, by Nina Planck
- The Schwarzbein Principle, by Diana Schwarzbein
- The Fourfold Path to Healing, by Thomas Cowan
- The Maker's Diet, by Jordan Rubin
- Wild Fermentation, by Sandor Katz
- Truly Cultured, by Nancy Lee Bentley
- Healthy Snacks To Go E-book, by Katie Kimball
- Tender Grassfed Meat, by Stanley Fishman
CHEESE MAKING:
I've recently started my cheese making journey. I'll be updating this area as I learn more, but here are the basic ingredients that I've needed to have on hand so far.
MICHIGAN RESOURCES:
- CSA Farmers Market
- An online group of small farms that use organic practices in Southeast Michigan.
- Offers a wonderful assortment of organic/natural produce each week throughout the year.
- Dairy Delight
- Located in Cohoctah Township in Livingston County (south of Byron/Argentine, north of Howell)
- Cow share program
- Grass-fed Jerseys and Guernseys are kept on pasture as much as Michigan climate allows. They receive organic hay that is grown on the farm in the winter months. Cows are given probiotics regularly and receive no antibiotics or hormones.
- This is the herd in which we own cow shares.
- Our Farm and Dairy
- Rainbow's End Farm
- The best source for organically grown raspberries in the area!
- White Pine Farm
- Located in North Branch, MI
- Organically certified farm that does not even use pest control products approved for organic use. They rely on natural predators for pest and disease control.
- CSA, pastured beef and chickens
