The Agrarian's Alcove

The Agrarian’s Alcove HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH SMALL AG: PERMACULTURE WHAT IS SMALL AG Small ag is agriculture on a smaller, non-commercial scale. Today, many people are trying to incorporate backyard farming. A lot of people have chickens and sell farm-fresh eggs. There are a lot of small goat farms where they sell meat goats and goat-milk, and utilize the goat-milk to make cool products. Many farmer’s markets sell small locally farmed produce and canned products. All of this can be considered small ag. Some people consider doing small ag for a hobby, and others think that small ag is better for our environment than big ag or commercial farms. While there can be pros and cons to small ag as opposed to conventional ag, there are some ways you can implement small ag in your own backyard-even if you live in the suburbs! Permaculture is a great way to start. WHAT IS PERMACULTURE Permaculture is a coined term which comes from the words “permanent agriculture.” Permaculture...

Howdy everybody! My last post on natural foods got a lot of views so I hope that you are enjoying my Savvy Shopper’s Guide series! Today’s post is over locally grown foods. Are you a locavore? This term applies to people who absolutely LOVE buying local foods! I know so many people who are locavores and love shopping at farmer’s markets for several reasons. Personally, I love the environment of my local farmer’s market. It makes me feel close to the actual production of the food I buy. For others it also makes them feel like the food is more natural and organic. It seems like the food could be healthier for you. It also makes you feel good about yourself for helping out your local farmers. I think that’s great! It is so important to support farmers. I want to cover a few myths about food produced locally and make sure you are being savvy shopping when you support your local farmers! First, I want to know what buying locally means to you, so take a moment and comment below. Tell...

Alright, let’s face it. It’s a new year. And if you’re in college in the US, then most of you are going back to school this week. But whether you’re a mom, a college kid, or a single adult, we ALL have to grocery shop. With the New Year I know many people have resolutions to eat healthier, cleaner, or maybe to just cut back on spending so much money on food! In 2013 people spent over $717 million on food **at home (no restaurants)** in the US alone. I imagine that with the trends in organic and natural foods rising, we will surpass $730 million mark if we haven’t already (find the charts here ). So, welcome to my second post in the series of The Savvy Shopper’s Guide series. You can read the first post here . Let me start by clearing up some confusion. I think people get confused by the labels “natural,” “naturally raised,” and “organic.” Some people I have spoken to, thought they were all very similar or meant the same thing. They are not the same thing. To be organic, produce...