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| Shopping Local at area Farmers Markets |
The trend these days in restaurants is to prepare locally
grown and harvested produce and meats for their patrons. Why not follow this "farm to table" philosophy in your own home, buy and prepare local! Fortunately, I am surrounded by two farms which provide fresh and organic, produce and
provisions, Erdenheim Farms and Maple Acres.
Erdenheim Farms, with picturesque pastures filled with livestock familiar
to the Scottish Highlands and story book barns, has a small stand located near the stately sheep barn. It is open
Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings only. They are currently selling honey, eggs, freshly
pressed apple cider, kale, micro greens grown in their own greenhouses, and
angus burgers and hotdogs or larger portions of lamb and angus. Maple Acres has
been open to the public for a long time and has an established following, its' stand is open
everyday of the week with year round offerings.
They preserve and pickle their own produce creating sauces and
condiments, holiday décor, and freshly cut christmas trees. While
selecting freshly picked produce and flowers at Maple Acres you often bump into a neighbor, class mate,
colleague, coach, student etc… it is a little hub of the community joining many
surrounding areas together. They have added hayrides, yoga, and their grounds are available for a venue rental, furthering the community interest and involvement.
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| Maple Acres Farm Produce |
As mentioned recently on CBS’s Sunday Morning program in November, the newest trend in community development is to center a neighborhood around
a farm, creating an “Agrihood.”
See the episode on the "Agrihood" community development trend:
Not only do these farms give us healthy and fresh options but they
also allow us to experience how and where our food comes from. Something that is so important to the
development of our children’s relationship with food. It is essential for them to understand
where their food comes from, not just from the supermarket shelves, but from the
earth and from their neighbors.
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| The Shelves are stacked at Maple Acres Farmers Market |
It is a healthier option to that of mass produced “store bought” offerings. Not only are you
bringing home good stuff but you are also keeping your purchases within the
community therefore supporting local farming operations and thus your neighbors. Whitemarsh and Plymouth Meeting have been ahead of the trend and we have been lucky to have these two farms within reach.
Welcome to the Agrihood!
