Grow Your Community

Last night I had the honor of sitting on a panel that discussed the principles of FRESH the movie. This event, which is repeating in Raleigh January 22 and 29, was put together by local, nutrient dense foods proponent and visionary, Niti Bali of Farm to Fork Meat. Niti is on a mission to bring healthier, local food to more people and to grow the ethical responsible, earth-friendly farming sector. On the panel with Niti and me were Greg Wheeler, an ethical beef rancher and owner of Wheeler Ranch, and Kimberly Harry, an ethical poultry farmer and owner of Minka Farm. Jason, owner of Bickett Market and local commercial fisherman who was also on the panel, hosted the event and provided fantastic burgers and veggies. Bickett Market is one awesome place for gatherings and food education, and I will be spending more time there.

FRESH was a fantastic movie and served as a great starting point for discussion. What was especially notable about this night was that the room was filled with people wanting to know more about ethical, sustainable food. How to find it, what the labeling and advertising mean, and how to help grow the cause. We learned a lot from each other.

The biggest take home messages for me involved community. For example, the ranchers on the panel could be feeding more people, but that they spend so much time working to ethically raise their animals that they don’t have much time for marketing. Their clients need to spread the word. I know the power of client referrals, as I have single handedly boosted several farmer’s businesses substantially. Niti of Farm to Fork has done the same AND given encouragement to other farmers to break from big agriculture practices and farm ethically.

A second important point is that there is a growing number of people who want ethically raised, healthy food, but they are not connected to each other. There is so much to learn about ethically raised food

• why to get it

• how to get it

• how to prepare it

• how to save time

Tackling these questions on your own can be overwhelming, but doing it with a community of people who support one another, giving tips, leads and encouragement, makes the journey so much easier.

If you need to build a community, the Weston A. Price Society and Holistic Moms Network are two such communities that you can easily join in order to build your own.

The Weston A. Price Society will help you get a handle on the four questions above and more. The information and encouragement this organization delivers always amazes me and makes me smile. There are chapters located throughout the world.

The Holistic Moms Network has chapters throughout the United States and Canada. The chapters, which have Dad members too, meet at least monthly, often with expert speakers presenting. Each chapter has a local email loop to share local thoughts, needs and resources. The national forum, available to all members, is another fantastic resource if you need to tap into a larger knowledge base. The community of friends across the country that I now have is humbling.

I am a member of both of these organizations, and a co-leader of my local Weston Price chapter. Both of these organizations have nourished and empowered my family beyond our expectations. Without them, my family wouldn’t even be half way to where we are now. Now we are a vibrant, healthy, excited and happy family.

Wishing you much joy on your community building journey.

Comments

[Stacy]

Laura - I found your blog by googling your name after seeing it on the Weston Price Society website. I live in Cary and am slowly changing our family's eating habits. I have found that the biggest challenge, as you allude to here, is finding the resources. I have found grass-fed beef at the state farmer's market, but i'm still not sure where to get chicken or eggs, lacto-fermented vegetables, etc. Do you have a list of local resources?