4th of July Local Food Challenge

Stay Food Independent this 4th of July!

Fourth of July is about freedom, fireworks and food!  Last year Chris and I celebrated Food Independence Day with our local foods menu.  This year, the Our Local Food - South Central Kansas program is challenging us again to choose locally grown products for at least one holiday meal.  When you do this, take a picture to share and they'll reward you with some great local foods prizes! Learn more about the challenge here.

Once they've received all the pictures and recipe submissions, they'll create an Our Local Food-South Central eBook that will be available FREE to anyone who signs up to receive their e-newsletter.  How do you sign up for the e-newsletter...by visiting their blog or Facebook page.

So join us again, after all, Independence Day includes staying food independent and local sources of food help to ensure we do just that.

Dillon's, Getting Local in the Dairy Department!

 Pasteurized milk originating 112 miles from Wichita!

Last week, while shopping at Dillon's, I discovered they've added a local milk to their supply!  Hildebrand Farms Dairy, near junction City, KS, provides half gallons of skim, 2%, whole, creamline and chocolate milk.  (They also have other flavors, Root Beer anyone?) According to the package, they've had their dairy since 1930 and raise most of their own feed on their 2,000 acre farm.  The milk comes in a glass bottle, so there is a deposit ($2.something)  that you receive back when you return the bottle to the store.  I love it...local milk and no trash to go to the landfill or plastic to recycle.   

Is the milk available at your local Dillon's??  Click here to find out.

Community Gardens - Growing in Wichita

I am so !!! EXCITED !!! about a recent development by Ron Sylvester at The Wichita Eagle.  He's the writer of the Keeping the Plains column, and has been covering local eating in his most recent articles.  Last week he wrote about community gardens, and this week he created an interactive map of all the community gardens in Wichita!  What a great development, and a wonderful way to share the gardening opportunities around this city.  Brilliant!

Share the Info!  --  If you know of anyone interested in getting involved in a community garden share this info with them.  You can find the interactive map on the Love Local Food website here.

Weekend Plans: Urban Farms Tour, June 25th & 26th

Garden-fresh produce, from the city or the country, is the best!

Looking for some inspiring local foods plans for the weekend?  Here's an idea for an inspirational trip, that could cause you to come back ready to inspire others to increase their intake of locally grown foods.  This weekend, take a trip to Kansas City and join in on the Urban Farms Tour, happening Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. around the city.  The tour will share the many farms, gardens, roof-top gardens, school gardens, community gardens and other growing avenues around Kansas City.  They'll also have live music, cooking demonstrations and other activities at each farm.  Click here for the tour sites.

While you're there, stop by Blue Bird Bistro for a sustainable, local, tasty meal.

Now, we need something like this in Wichita.  Planning committee anyone?

Tasty Inspiration!!

Today's post won't have a lot of words, but it will have a lot of inspiration!  I wanted to share a few of the meals Chris and I enjoyed so far this season, and the local ingredients in them.  My mouth waters remembering them.  You can find contact information for each of the farms on the Wichita Area Local Producers List.

The fresh asparagus from Chautauqua Hills Farm this year was amazing.  My Personal Chef (yes, hubby) said he'd never had asparagus so sweet and fresh - it was yummy!

 

Chicken Salad made with chicken from Unruh Pastured Poultry and fresh spinach picked 13 feet from our back door.  Gotta love that!

Pan-fried beef cutlet from beef we got from my Uncle Gene over Asian mustard greens from our garden.  (Have I said I love being married to a chef?!)  Mouth watering.

And today...ice cream...made from local milk.  I'll share the details with you in my next post...oh, I can't wait!

U-Pick Strawberries - How Yummy!!

Mmmmmm, Strawberries!!!

When I was young, my grandparents had a 40' x 20' strawberry patch.  Everyone in the family flocked to their house to pick when the strawberries were ripe, and we had tons of strawberries to last the entire year.  Unfortunately, I no longer have that luxury, but I learned recently of a U-pick strawberry farm near Wichita!  The crop is expected to peak next week, but they're ready for customers now!

Here's the info if you're interested in picking or getting pre-picked strawberries.  Contact them to set up a time to enjoy the berries...mmm, nothing like a warm strawberry fresh off the plant!

Jester Creek Farm

3095 SE 36^th

Newton, KS 67114

316-284-0363      

bsregier6@gmail.com

facebook.com/JesterCreekFarm

Brian and Sharon Regier, owners

We are located about 2 ½ miles east of I-35 on the south side of Newton.   There are lots of berries available today.  U-pick $2/qt +tax.  Already picked $3/qt +tax.  Either way bring shallow containers to take the berries home. We are as chemical free as possible and nothing has been used on the patch since we did some weed control last summer.