How New Farming Methods are Increasing Access to Health Foods

Contrary to popular belief, most people will choose healthy, juicy fruits over chocolate and want to eat better. Sometimes, it can be impossible in certain communities where agriculture is not maintained and preserved; or even worse, nonexistent. There is a lot of work involved in food production, including growing and harvesting the fruits and vegetables, and keeping them safe from hungry predators. Luckily, there are people working to help agriculture continue to grow and increase the average person’s access to healthy foods. 

The Maintenance and Preservation of Agricultural Land 

The first important thing to do is to make sure our current methods of producing food are well taken care of and regulated. Preserving food production in already dedicated areas will help save resources that can be used to create new land ready for agriculture. Some regions have an abundance of agricultural land, while certain developed areas make the space limited and are not cost effective. The human race continues to steadily grow, causing more development to take place; the first step is to preserve the agricultural land we have from development to keep food production growing just as steady to keep supporting the population.  

Increasing Food Production 

Although a large portion of available land for agricultural needs have already been developed as farms or cities, there is still plenty of land up for grabs to be produced into even more agricultural industries. There are abandoned lots, rooftops, and other miscellaneous buildings throughout both rural and suburban areas that can be used for further agricultural development that currently are not being used for anything but taking up space and rotting. Utilizing these abandoned areas can provide plenty of opportunities for local food production and promote healthy eating even in the big cities where most people stop into quick, fast food joints. 

Protect the Pollinators 

Although we have plenty of regulated food production by working farmers, pollinators still play a huge role in food production. When a pollinator comes in contact with your fruits and vegetables, upon leaving they are a necessity to help plants outside of your farm reproduce and aid in the growth of other fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, the populations of pollinators, especially bees, are constantly in decline, making plant growth outside of the regulated farms to decrease in quantity and quality. In recent years, many people have taken it upon themselves to become beekeepers to help breed more pollinators in their declining numbers, as well as farmers utilizing better land practices in their farming methods. This includes minimizing chemicals used that are harmful to the pollinators, as well as farming on several different types of properties to help encourage native plants outside of their own farms; this helps support keeping the existing pollinators healthy. 

There are plenty of different methods farmers have thought of and even are beginning to utilize in their daily practice to help the general population continue to be stocked with healthy, amazing food. The development of these three methods so far have and will produce the greatest difference in providing healthy food to the general public. 

How Grocers are Marketing Organic Products—And Increasing Sales 

Organic products have been skyrocketing in popularity over the past several years, and is a trend that shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Sales for organic products currently account for $52.5 billion, a figure which continues to rise. Once only available in local specialty shops or retailers like Whole Foods, many regular grocery stores have now have devoted a significant amount of shelf space to these products. But marketing organic products does require a different approach. 

Identify Your Customer 

 The consumer who buys organic products is not the same as the consumer who is shopping for regular items in your store. Although many people will occasionally opt for organic products when given a choice, the customer who values organic foods will typically be very health-conscious. According to Consumer Reports, organic food can cost an average of 45-50% more than a similar non-organic product. Therefore, the organic shopper will almost always usually have a higher grocery budget, and won’t hesitate to spend it when they feel it is necessary. They also value quality, however. They have high expectations about how a product will taste and how it will affect their health, and when they find something they like, they are quite loyal. For many parents, buying organic is important to the wellbeing of their children. Studies have shown that eight out of ten families in the United States have purchased organic foods at least once in the past two years. That’s a lot of potential customers! 

Presentation is Key 

Buying organic products can feel like a luxury, and they should be positioned as such in your store. Many grocers tend to group popular organic items together in a “Healthy Shoppers” aisle, which not only helps your customers quickly hone in on what they’re looking for, but it makes them feel recognized and special. Display unique signage when marketing organic products that calls to mind nature and healthy activities, both of which are important to this type of consumer. Make samples available when possible, as many like to try products out before they pay a premium price for them. For kid-related items, position them at eye-level for children and market them together with similar items for maximum sales.  

Market Wisely 

In order to draw more customers into your store to buy these products, devote space in your sales flyer to new and exciting organic products, or consider creating a supplemental brochure that focuses solely on those items! This is also a great way to educate your shoppers on the benefits of organic products and entice them to come to your store for a purchase. Social media is also a valuable resource to market to the healthy consumer. 
 
There are so many ways things to consider when marketing organic products to your customers, but given the increasing sales potential of these products, implementing these strategies in your store is sure to pay dividends. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Organic Coffee

If you love drinking coffee, then you should choose the organic brands while shopping. Organic coffee is grown without the use of artificial fertilizers or pesticides, helping you to avoid any contamination from chemicals. Research reveals that moderate consumption of organic coffee can reduce your chances of developing dementia conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease.  

Caffeine vs. Decaf

Plain organic coffee contains no calories, but it will offer you a small amount of caffeine to help you remain more alert. It is also possible to buy decaffeinated organic coffee so that you can drink the beverage later in the day without feeling jittery. Black coffee provides antioxidants that can protect your body’s cells from damage along with several types of B vitamins. 

Where to Buy

Your local supermarket may offer organic coffee, but you should read the package labels carefully to learn more about the products. When the price is higher on the organic coffee, you can look for special sales or coupons to help you save money. If you can’t find organic coffee locally, then you can look for the item at online stores. Remember that many online stores also offer discounts, including free shipping.  

Flavors

When you enjoy stopping at coffee shops to drink this beverage, you can find several organic flavors, but if you are drinking ready-made coffee, then it is expensive. However, you can determine if the coffee shop also offers containers of coffee beans or processed coffee, making it easier to save money while you are drinking this beverage. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Free-Range Chicken

When looking to purchase chicken for your next meal, consider a free-range chicken from your local butcher or grocery store. Free-range chicken are allowed to roam freely outdoors rather than being penned up in small cages for the vast majority of their life. This often makes for a better-tasting bird, and consumers can feel less guilt knowing that the chicken was raised in humane conditions. Free-range chickens might be contained to a coop during the night to keep them safe from predators, but during the daytime, they’re allowed access to the outside. 

What Does Free-Range Mean?

While not necessarily antibiotic free, many chickens raised in a free-range environment do have lower levels of antibiotics found in their system. Since they are not kept in as close quarters as their commercially-raised counterparts, diseases do not spread amongst them as quickly, making them less likely to need precautionary drugs. Conventional chickens are also given steroids to help them grow bigger and produce more meat, whereas free-range chickens are usually allowed to grow naturally. This advantage is then passed along to you, the consumer. 

Cost

Although free-range chicken will usually cost a bit more than regular chicken, it can be found at many local grocers and grocery store chains quite easily. Local butchers often carry this high-quality meat as well, although establishing a relationship with a nearby farm would also be a great way to supply your household. Free-range chicken can be around $2-4 more per pound than conventional chicken, but the health benefits to you and your family can be immense. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Organic Milk

Have you noticed how more and more organic milk labels are listing that the content is rBGH free? What is rBGH and why are more milk companies choosing to leave this out of the milk? What is the difference between organic milk and typical store milk?  

Conventional vs. Organic

Milk. Milk has been one of the most important products for humans as a species. From the minute we are born to old age, we are consuming milk. Since this is the case, we should be highly aware of what we are drinking when we drink milk.  
 
Conventionally raised cows are commonly given rBGH, a growth hormone, that is banned in several countries outside the United States. There is no evidence yet that this hormone can harm us, however, some growing concerns in how it can hurt cows has been a topic of interest to many.  

Expense & Benefit 

Organic milk can come with a hefty price, especially if more than one person in your family regularly drinks it. It can cost more than double the price of regularly found conventional milk.  
 
Milk that is produced organically comes from a cow that has not been given any antibiotics and that has had a large portion of its diet from grazing pasture. Any other forms of feed must have also been grown without any pesticides or chemical fertilizers.  
 
Organic milk has higher levels of antioxidants, vitamins, and omega 3 fatty acids (important for brain health).  
 
In choosing organic milk, you would gain transparency in what you are putting into your body or your children’s bodies. 

Using Festivals & Aggregators to Scour Farmer’s Markets

We are obviously big fans of farmer’s markets and local and community driven agriculture. As are many of us. The downside of this new trend, especially in cities, is that inventory can go fast. For the sellers, they can charge an almost unlimited amount for their wares when they can find a big enough audience. But we are all tired of getting up earlier than we prefer on a weekend and still missing the one thing that you rose so early to nab.

This article may be very obvious to many of you, but we wanted to share the little tricks that we do that are far from perfect, but can sometimes help us to avoid heartache and end up with more swiss chard than we want.

This is an old story, but a long while ago before they leveled up their production, we used to chase farmer’s markets every month looking for Merf’s Electric Lime hot sauce. And sometime between those days and today, where you can just find a store on their website, we used to comb various farmer’s markets and food festival websites, looking for another place if we happen to miss it.

Nearly every festival and farmer’s market has a website or app now. They usually list who is going to show, and if you are really on the ball, write to this group and see what they are bringing.

Another spot where we have been particularly successful when it comes to fresh seafood is using aggregators. My husband is from Maine and we had been hunting for ways to get fresh lobster that didn’t involve hassling his old friends and relatives and sometimes not ending up with the best result. In our attempts to buy lobster online for a surf and turf party, we found Quality Seafood Delivery. They aggregate companies who ship fresh seafood, such as lobster, salmon, crab, crawfish, halibut, and smoked salmon. They are free to use, and while they

It’s important to note today that the world has figured out ecommerce better than even four years ago, and you can mostly buy direct and skip the festival or market once someone is established, but until they are established these are the methods that reduce our frustration and FOMO.

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Organic Strawberries

When considering purchasing conventionally grown products or organically grown products, it is important to understand what is used to help the product grow and what the overall benefits and disadvantage of each is.  

Organic Strawberries 

There is little doubt that strawberries are scrumptious fruit produced in almost bite-sized pieces.  
 
There is also very little doubt that strawberries provide many health benefits, but you should always be aware of the difference in how strawberries are grown.  
 
Conventionally grown strawberries are typically grown using toxic fumigants, growth hormones, and chemicals used for plant growth.  
 
On the other hand, strawberries that are grown organically use natural fertilizers, natural mulch, and preventative methods in order to control disease. Organic strawberries also implement mechanical methods to help reduce weeds that require more labored work. 

Expense 

 Anyone who has seen strawberries at their local grocery store can tell you that each pack of strawberries can cost quite a bit in comparison to other fruits and products. In fact, the conventional strawberries can cost about $4 a pound. Organic strawberries can cost more than $6 a pound, driving up the cost even more.  
 
Is it worth? Definitely.  

Benefits 

 The benefits of organic strawberries to anyone’s health include a burst of vitamins C and K, potassium, and manganese. Organic strawberries also have plenty of antioxidants and fiber in every bit.  
 
The antioxidants found in organic strawberries, such as ellagic acid, may help to improve heart function lowering the risk or cardiovascular diseases. These antioxidants offer anti-inflammatory benefits that can also help reduce the likelihood of strokes, inhibiting the formation of blood clots. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Organic Potatoes

When thinking of various organic health foods, you always want to consider what kind of health benefit you will receive from consuming different foods.  

Organic Potatoes 

 All around the globe, potatoes are found and commonly used as a staple in any dish or diet. They are very versatile, and many unique dishes can be made from this simple ingredient.  
 
When shopping for potatoes, you should highly consider finding and purchasing organic potatoes. These potatoes are typically more concentrated with minerals that are higher in vitamin C, iron, phosphorous, and even magnesium.  
 
Organic potatoes also provide important protection against cancer and cardiovascular disease as they contain significantly fewer heavy metals than their non-organic counter parts.  
 
Potatoes that are organic contain starch that is more easily digestible by the body and is high in fiber, low in calorie.  

Where and How Much? 

 The term “organic” has been commonly associated with high expense. However, because potatoes are such a staple food that can be grown locally and all over the world, you can find reasonably priced potatoes at high quality levels.  
 
Always be sure to check out your local farmers’ markets for locally sourced organic potatoes at the best prices. However, for the busier family or individual you can find them online and shipped directly to your house, again at little cost.  

Star or Side 

Potatoes that are clean of various pesticides and offer all of these wonderful benefits can be paired with any dish, as the star or the side. Additionally, this is one healthy food that you will hear and have no complaints about consuming. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Organic Apples

When you are worried about the contamination from pesticides and other chemicals, you will want to buy organic apples. Apples are a delicious fruit that is easy to take with you to work or to school as a snack, but you can also use these fruits in many recipes. This variety of fruit offers several vitamins and minerals along with fiber that will satiate your appetite.  

Why Organic?

It is easy to buy organic apples today, and some stores offer organic produce at the same price as the other types of apples. Call your local supermarkets to determine if the businesses offer organic produce, but also, you should remember that you can find organic apples at local orchards or at farmers markets. You can find different varieties of apples that have red or green peels.  

Cost

In some cases, organic apples will cost more, but the price difference is usually low, and you will know that the fruit is safer to eat. When you are buying organic apples, you should understand that the produce will often spoil faster because the fruit won’t have any protective wax or preservatives.  

Organic Apple Storage

You should learn how to store the organic apples properly in a cool and dry location that is away from insects or rodents. If you buy a lot of organic apples, then you should learn how to freeze or can the fruit so that it remains edible. Dietitians recommend eating at least five servings of produce each day, so you should buy organic apples frequently. 

Making ‘Cents’ of Health Foods: Avocado

Often, we walk pass the avocado section in the supermarket because it seems so expensive. But if we know, spending those extra cents will be beneficial to our health we would prefer spending the cents to keep our health. 

Daily Recommended Value

Among fruits and vegetables, avocado stand apart for the many ways it can support our health with healthy fats, protein, vitamins and mineral content. From 100 grams of avocado you get a quarter of the daily amount recommended. This unique vitamin helps build stronger bones, lower cholesterol, and assist in blood clotting. 

Nutrient Content

Avocado also supplies us with folate which may help in preventing Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, prevent some kinds of cancer and may assist with anxiety, depression and sleep problems. With the vitamin C in avocado, your immune system will be greatly enhanced to fight off illnesses. The potassium in this fruit can assist in lowering blood pressure levels, needed for people with a heart problem history. It has also been shown to prevent kidney failure. 

Avocado’s monounsaturated fats can also boost our cardiovascular health, prevent inflammation and related infections. Also, with its supply of fiber, this fruit assists with weight control. Avocados also help with the absorption of antioxidants which helps us to keep infections and even cancer at bay. It also aids in.maintaining eye health. 

Additional Benefits

There are other benefits associated with consuming avocado daily, including keeping arthritis at bay, reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. Also it’s a versatile fruit and can be prepared in many attractive ways.