Each holiday season, we celebrate by shopping for food and preparing the dishes we’ll serve to friends and family. Over the years, as consumers have become more conscious about where the items on their tables come from, the question of “what to serve for dinner” has become “What to serve for dinner that’s raised locally?”
Commercially processed meats and genetically modified vegetables no longer suffice. Consumers are more educated. They want to know the source of their dairy and meat products, what the animals have been fed and how nutritious the food they’re buying is going to be. They want flavorful food and are interested in fruit and vegetable varieties that can’t be found at supermarkets.
Those seeking fresh beef and poultry products are demanding that their meat sources be free from hormones and additives and that the animals themselves be raised humanely on a sustainable farm that can produce food without detrimental effects on the environment.
You don’t have to look far within the greater Charleston area to find sources for locally grown and raised food products. Farmers markets and independently operated farms are prime places to find fresh, healthy foods for your holiday feasts.
Eating locally grown and raised food has its benefits.
Alex Russell of Chucktown Acres in McClellanville raises grass-fed and grass-finished beef, forested pork, pasture-raised poultry and soy-free eggs on his family’s regenerative farm. This year, he estimates he’ll sell approximately 250 pasture-raised turkeys for Thanksgiving.
“Our pasture-raised turkeys are a very stark contrast to commercial turkeys,” he said. “They get to have all the bugs to eat that are crawling around. They have fresh air and sunshine. Fresh, mineral-rich water is piped into their coop every day. During the last two months of their lives, they have free range to roam all over the place. When they run, they produce more hemoglobin in their blood, which enhances the flavor of the muscles themselves. When that turkey is consumed, it tastes way, way different than turkeys that have been living in factories.”
Buying from local farmers, Russell said, allows you to have direct contact with the people who are raising and growing the food you eat – “no fancy labels, no greenwashing needed. There’s no 100% way to know the quality of the food that you’re eating unless you see it while it’s growing,” he added.
Tim Rowe of Blue Sky Sunny Day Farm in Walterboro believes in being as knowledgeable as possible about the food you’re purchasing for your holiday meal.
Rowe and his wife Lilly raise free-range chickens, guinea hens, turkeys and lambs at their certified organic farm. They also grow certified organic vegetables on the farm and sell their products at the Summerville Farmers Market and through their organic CSA program.
Rowe encourages consumers purchasing produce or meat to do research and ask questions.
“When you’re talking about meat, whether it’s pork, chicken, lamb or beef, ask the farmer, ‘How are the animals raised? What kind of feed do you use? What’s the source of the feed? Is the pasture clean of chemicals? What do you do when your animals get sick? Do you date your products? When were these animals slaughtered? Do you use a USDA-certified and inspected slaughtering facility?’” he said. “When it comes to vegetables, if someone says they’re certified organic, ask them, ‘What’s your certificate number?’ Check whether the farmer has it posted on their farm stand or their website.”
As you plan the menus for your holiday feasts this year, consider local sources for fruits, vegetables and meats that will infuse your celebrations with flavor and good cheer.
By Michael Vyskocil
