Farmer Julia's Blog

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've no doubt heard about, and probably seen for yourself the rising cost of food. As the Canadian dollar plummets, the price of food, particularly imported food is increasing. It has shone a spotlight on how dependent we have become on food that isn't being produced locally. Everyone is up in arms about $7 cauliflower. But have you ever grown a cauliflower? If you have, I bet you're not balking.

So we're sold out of bacon again. Ryan & Kiera are freaking out because they aren't going to have bacon for our Saturday markets. Visions of bacon riots are dancing in my head. 

Here's the thing folks: Pigs are only 6% bacon. That means that for every pound of bacon you eat, someone needs to eat 15 pounds of the rest of the animal. So if you're pounding back bacon and not eating anything else, you're just not pulling your weight.

I know I talk a lot about eating less meat but I know that it is easier said than done. Western society has a messed up relationship with food and with meat  in particular but, like many relationships, it doesn't matter how messed up they are.... if they are familiar, they're hard to get out of. If you've never been known another way, it can seem overwhelming to form new habits. 

A brand new year is upon us and many of us will be taking stock and making resolutions to improve our health, relationships, financial well being, etc. Taking charge of your food system is one way you can address all of these issues.

Here are 10 steps you can take to start the new year off right:

Is there anything more satisfying on a cold, wintry night than a hot bowl of stew? The weather we've been having lately has definitely set off my stew cravings and thankfully, it is one meal I can still  wrap my head around even with a tight budget and long work days. A slow cooker makes all the difference. If you don't have one, get one! You can pick them up at your local thrift store or Craigslist or splurge $30 - $50 on a new one.