Local in 2016

I posted something on Facebook a few weeks ago and it was really well recieved. Along with being an herbalist I try to support my local farmers and community. The capitalistic society we live in has taken over. We are so disconnected from our food, our land, from our communties. This year I challenge all of you to try to support your local community as much as possible. Your local farmers, craftspeople and businesses. Get outside and connect with the earth. Put down your phones and computers and look someone in the eye and smile. You CAN make a difference. Every action does have an impact. By doing the small actions it creates a bigger wave or wonderful things. 2016 is going to be an amazing year and if we all work together who know what we can accomplish!

Here is the original post:

I gave up Dairy almost 5 years ago. I noticed it was causing inflammation and I just felt better when I didn't eat it. Fast forward to this past year I decided to reintroduce goat cheese. I found a sweetest little farm called Sunflower Farmjust up the road from me with the best goat cheese. I noticed if I ate it every once and awhile my body could tolerate it just fine. A week before Christmas I decided to stop at the farm and get some cheese for the holiday. They were closed for the season. My first thought was " Wow-That's weird that they are close so close to Christmas- this time of year they would make so much money!" After I left it struck me and I thought to myself " Katie Silly of course they are closed! The mama goats are pregnant and will produce milk again in the spring when they have their kids." It got me thinking about our dairy industry. How cows, goats or sheep in the commercial setting are always pregnant or lactating. How the big businesses never close. I've never been pregnant but I sure as heck know I wouldn't want to spend my entire life pregnant. In smaller farms they tend to rotate animals who are pregnant as well as treat them with the utmost care. Can you imagine having baby after baby? What that does to the mother's body that is birthing calf after calf? Also the health of the baby cows that are being born? Anyway it made me sad and I started to think about how disconnected we are from our food sources especially dairy and meat. This year I'm challenging myself to try to eat as local as I can. I challenge all of you as well. Try to eat locally grown foods when you can and support your local farmers! Maine is full of them! Even if you only do it every once and awhile it really does make a difference and really connects you to the food you are consuming~