By Nancy Smith, Board Member
Farm to Family Naturally
September 19, for the first time ever, The Healthy Planet magazine is partnering with Farm to Family Naturally, to present an event that will entertain, inform, offer delicious farm foods and leave attendees feeling much more in touch with the farmers who grow their food.
In lieu of the regular Healthy Planet Fall Expo, The Healthy Planet decided the time has come to present an Expo that is all about healthy and local food. Farm to Family Naturally, the owners of Sappington Farmers Market couldn’t agree more, so the planning has begun.
Many food and farm-related exhibitors are already on board, like Missouri Organic Association, Kakao Chocolate, Westphalia Winery, Ah Zeefa! Hummus, Slow Foods, and various farmers and farm organizations. Exhibits, demonstrations and classes are planned to inform attendees about the food they eat while engaging them in interactive displays. This is one expo that the kids will love. They’ll have a chance to get their hands dirty and learn about seeds, growing and farm animals.
Urban gardening groups as well as independent family farmers will have booths and demonstrations to showcase sustainable and organic methods and help clear up confusions about various food marketing terms like “all-natural”. If you’re in a quandary over which food to buy for your family, here is your chance to ask the farmer.
In keeping with the USDA program “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food”, The Healthy Planet and Farm to Family Naturally agree that there is no better way to serve your family the best, healthiest food than to actually meet and talk to the farmer who grows it. For example, although Certified Organic is the only assurance that food has been grown in strict conformance with USDA Organic Standards, in talking to the farmer you may find that he or she uses organic practice but has never been certified. You can learn all about Integrated Pest Management, which limits the kinds and amounts of pesticide that can be used on your food.
And what if you grow much of your own food? St. Louis University is planning a demonstration of composting, and there will be a booth devoted to teaching participants how to save their own seed. In these times, seed saving is a real hedge against future food shortages.
Seed saving also protects the biodiversity of the planet, which is crucial to the survival of all living things. It’s a well-known fact that gardeners love to share information, so you can expect to get your gardening questions answered.
Best of all, there will be an abundance of fresh, healthy, local and organic food to taste, to buy, to enjoy. What’s a Farm and Food Expo without lots of food?
There is still plenty of room for food-related businesses and farm and garden groups to rent a booth to tell their story as part of this important forum, so please contact Nancy Smith of Farm to Family Naturally-573-351-1224 or nancysmith3@windstream.net or email J.B. Lester of The Healthy Planet at JBL44@aol.com for more details. The Food & Farmers Expo will be held at the Webster Groves Recreation Complex Sept. 19 from 10 to 4 pm. We are working hard to pair complementary exhibitors to help save you money if you don’t need a whole booth, so call early!