Colorado Local Market Blog

Since 1895 the Arkansas Valley of Colorado has been producing the finest cantaloupe available. In fact, U.S. commercial cantaloupe production actually began in the Arkansas Valley right near the town of Rocky Ford. Many people know about Rocky Ford Cantaloupe and Rocky Ford Produce already and some even plan their vacations through the Arkansas Valley where they can sample the delicious fruit and take a few home. Some say it’s the soil, others say it’s the water and even more say it’s the wonderful Southeastern Colorado climate. But most folks don’t really care why they are sweeter as long as we keep on growing them! Read more…

Get your Rocky Ford Cantaloupe today from Colorado Local Market.

So many of us have been enjoying Erin’s Geothermal Greenhouse’s cucumbers that I thought I’d post something about how amazing a cucumber is. Check out these great cucumber facts.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.
2. If you’re tired, skip the caffeine. Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins and carbohydrates that can provide a long lasting pick-me-up.
3. Rub a cucumber on your mirror to eliminate fog from a shower. You’ll also feel like you’re in a spa.
4. A few slices of cucumber in your garden with keep pests at bay. Why? The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.
5. The phytochemicals in a cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, which firms the outer layer and reduces the visibility of cellulite and wrinkles.
6. Avoid a hangover by eating a few slices of cucumber before going to bed. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium.
7. Replace WD40 with a cucumber. Rubbing a cucumber on a squeak takes it away.
8. Stressed out and don’t have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.
9. Cucumbers can act as a breath freshener. Put a slice on the roof of your mouth for 30 seconds and eliminate bad breath.
10. Looking for a ‘green’ way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won’t leave streaks and won’t harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.
11. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

Get local, organic cucumbers from Colorado Local Market. Start shopping today!

I tried goat milk for the first time from Mini Moos and Kids Too Dairy. While it was delicious, I have since discovered the superior nutritional qualities of goat milk.

There are numerous health benefits of goat milk, especially compared to cow milk. The nutritional content of goat milk is much healthier than that of cow milk, which is traditionally consumed in the United States. Goat’s milk has less fat than cow milk while containing every essential amino acid. Goat milk also has more vitamin A than cow milk, important nutrients that can be hard to get in a normal diet. Goat’s milk has slightly less riboflavin than cow’s milk; riboflavin is important in energy production. There’s also about 3% more calcium in goat milk when compared to cow’s milk. The amount of protein in goat milk is also slightly higher than the level in cow milk: about 8.7 grams per cup vs 8.1 grams in cow milk.

Additionally, if you have a hard time digesting cow milk, goat milk might be a solution for you. Almost 50% of the people that are unable to drink cow milk can safely drink goat milk, in part due to its amount of fatty acids. Better still, young children that have an intolerance or allergy to cow milk could do very well switching to goat milk in their daily diet.

Do something good for the earth and start drinking goat milk. Goats graze far less than cows and occupy less space. Try goat milk from Mini Moos and Kids Too Dairy today!

At Colorado Local Market, we strive to make your shopping experience as enjoyable as possible. If there is a product you would like to see, know of a local product we should carry or have any other thoughts you would like to share, we’d love to hear them! Please contact us and offer your suggestion.

Many thanks!
Colorado Local Market

While we may want to buy 100% organic all the time, it’s often difficult to do so. High costs or small selection can leave us all stumped in the grocery store.  Our advice to you is to focus on avoiding those foods that are conventionally grown with the most pesticides, additives and hormones. You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by 80% if you avoid the following 15, most contaminated conventionally grow foods. Can’t find organic versions of these foods? We list safer alternatives that contain similar valuable vitamins and minerals

MEAT
While meat tends to have less pesticide residue, modern methods of raising beef include the use of hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to resist disease and pesticides in the fertilizer that is used to grow the grain. USDA organically certified meat comes from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.

MILK
Pesticides and other man-made chemicals have been found in dairy products, which has become a big concern considering that milk is a staple of a child’s diet. Organic dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST.

COFFEE
Many of our coffee beans come from countries that don’t regulate the use of chemicals and pesticides. Buying organic ensures that you are not buying beans that have been chemically grown or processed.

PEACHES
Multiple pesticides are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards.

Alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges and grapefruit.

APPLES
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with the use of poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Scrubbing and peeling doesn’t eliminate chemical residue completely, so it’s best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients.

Alternatives include watermelon, bananas and tangerines.

SWEET BELL PEPPERS
Peppers have thin skins that don’t offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They’re often heavily sprayed with insecticides.

Alternatives include green peas, broccoli and cabbage.

CELERY
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals that are used on conventional crops.

Alternatives include broccoli, radishes and onions.

NECTARINES
There were 26 different types of pesticides found on tested nectarines.

Alternatives include watermelon, papaya and mango.

STRAWBERRIES
If you buy strawberries out of season, they’re most likely imported from countries that use less-stringent regulations for pesticide use.

Alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and pineapples.

CHERRIES
Even locally grown cherries are not safe. In fact, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries.

Alternatives include blueberries, raspberries and cranberries.

KALE
Traditionally kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year.

Alternatives include cabbage, asparagus and broccoli.

LEAFY GREENS
Leafy greens are frequently contaminated with what are considered the most potent pesticides used on food.

Alternatives include cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

GRAPES
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape’s thin skin.

Alternatives include blueberries, kiwi and raspberries.

CARROTS
In Europe pesticides commonly used on carrots, parsnips and onions will be banned within the next decade. The U.S. has yet to catch up with its European counterparts, so organic is the way to go with carrots.

Alternatives include sweet corn, sweet peas and broccoli.

PEARS
As insects become more resilient to the pesticides used on pears, more and more chemicals are used. The safest bet is to go organic.
Alternatives include grapefruit, honeydew melon and mangos.

Buy organic Colorado produce at Colorado Local Market. Large selection of locally grown produce, meat, dairy and more!

Fast Company recently named the ten most inspiring people in sustainable food. Check out the article…

Eat-onomics: The Ten Most Inspiring People in Sustainable Food
By Stephanie Schomer, Fri Mar 5, 2010

The way America eats has to change, that’s no secret. Thanks to the efforts of these ten trailblazers, that change might be closer than we think.

Dan Barber, executive chef and co-owner of Blue Hill Farm

Barber is the brains behind the “Know thy Farmer” philosophy embraced at Blue Hill Farm. He was recently honored at the USA Network’s Character Approved Awards for his achievements in “green” food cultivation and preparation. A passionate advocate for regional farm networks, Barber continues to practice what he preaches at his family owned farms, as well as with the nonprofit Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture.

Deborah Kane, Vice President of Food and Farms at Ecotrust

Last month, Ecotrust began allowing Northwest food producers and buyers to utilize FoodHub, an online resource aimed to simplify their connections with each other and increase food trade in the Pacific Northwest. Kane continues to expound Ecotrust’s mission to inspire fresh thinking that promotes social equity, economic opportunity and environmental well-being.

Mike Yohay, CEO of Cityscape Farms

Yohay’s Cityscape Farms continues to work to produce great-tasting fresh food for local buyers with its hydroponic greenhouses. “Hydroponic farming is incredibly innovative and resource economical compared to conventional farming. It’s well-suited for cities because you can do it anywhere,” says Yohay.

Gary Hirshberg, CEO, Stonyfield Farm

In the past 26 years, Hirshberg has taken his organic yogurt company and turned it into an organic yogurt empire worth $340 million. Stonyfield Farm doesn’t just deliver high-quality food to consumers, but pays farmers 60-100% more than conventional farmers, to ensure the use of sustainable farming practices. What does he ask of his customers? “When you shop, you’re really voting for the kind of world you want. It is power,” he says. “We should use that power for good.”

Roger Doiron, founder, Kitchen Gardeners International

Doiron can proudly take credit for bringing a garden to the lawn of the White House with Eat the View, a campaign that rallied Americans’ desire to see a healthier First Family. “I knew this garden had been proposed in the past, and it had its champions–Alice Waters, Michael Pollan,” he says. “I wasn’t a rock star like them, but thought I could play the role of a roadie, making sure the mics are on and the amps are cranked up to make sure other people’s voices were heard.”

Jamie Oliver, chef

The Naked Chef is on a mission to bring healthy food to every child in America. His campaign, Jamie’s Food Revolution, aims to replace junk food and processed snacks with fresh and nutritious meals, in school and at home. ABC will air a six-part series tracking the campaign as Oliver heads to Huntington, West Virginia, which has been called the unhealthiest city in America. If Oliver can make Huntington healthy, he might be able to make America healthy.

Melanie Cheng, founder, FarmsReach

San Francisco-based FarmsReach pairs farmers up with buyers for sustainable local food systems, with plans to be nationwide by 2011. “If you look at statistics, farmers markets and Community Supported Agriculture are awesome, growing distribution methods, but they still make up less than 1% of food volume sold in the country,” she says. “That’s why we’re working with the wholesale channel, for distributors and bigger institutions.”

Michael Pollan, author, Food Rules

Pollan’s latest book, Food Rules, offers memorable tips on making wise eating choices. In his new book, Pollan (who has been described as the nation’s most trusted resource for food-related issues) shows Americans that “eating doesn’t have to be so complicated.”

Dickson Despommier, Vertical Farms Project

The Vertical Farms Project is the brainchild of Despommier, a professor at Columbia, and his students. Envisioning a world of sustainable farms housed in urban skyscrapers, the project proposes paying traditional farmers to simply plant trees on their land, in an attempt to sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Crazy? Maybe. But it’s inspiring more thought, more solutions.

Robert Kenner, director, Food Inc.

Kenner’s documentary Food Inc. did its fair share of grossing viewers out by exposing the heinous slaughter practices (and eating habits) found across our country. More importantly, the film, which showcased leaders like Hirshberg, showed that it is possible to eat healthy and enjoy it.

Community kitchens are popping up around the country as people recognize the need for farmers and other local food producers to have a financially viable option for processing their products.

A commerical kitchen that meets all the requirements for state and federal regualtions is very expensive. This hinders many people from creating and selling locally produced food.

Think about this… Farmers have crops and  a community kitchen would have equipment. Farmers and other members of the community could start their own food business with an available community kitchen.

What a great idea for Buena Vista!

U.S. Rep Rush Holt of New Jersey has introduced new legislation that would fight childhood obesity and support local farms.

The legislation would create “Farm to School” grants that would be used to increase the use of local foods from small and medium sized farms in schools.  Grants would further help schools to create vendor relationships with nearby farmers, plan seasonal menus and promotional materials, start a school garden, and develop hands-on nutrition education.

“In these challenging fiscal times, every dollar we spend must not only meet immediate needs but also make lasting improvements for the future,” Holt says. “Because school food programs currently provide more than half the daily calories for many children, it is vital that these calories are healthy ones. Farm to school programs increase the availability of fresh and locally grown food that improve our children’s daily nutrition and can lead to permanent improvements in their diets and productivity and can reduce future health care costs associated with obesity by billions of dollars.”

Way to go Rush Holt! Check out his speech below.

Post this on your fridge so that you can remember to fill your belly with these yummies!

Leafy greens
Medical experts call them one of nature’s miracle foods. Leafy greens like Swiss chard and kale are high in nutrients like folate and vitamins A and C that can lower your risk of cancer. Just one cup of dark, leafy greens a day could also prevent diabetes and high blood pressure.

Nuts
Many nutritionists recommend nuts like almonds, cashews and walnuts because they’re high in natural fiber. Fiber slows your digestive process, keeping hunger and unhealthy mid-afternoon snacks at bay. Goodbye vending machine runs!

Onions
Studies show that consuming onions on a regular basis may reduce symptoms of asthma and the risk of developing stomach cancer. Add them to soups and stir-fry, and just remember — the stronger the onion, the greater the health benefit.

Whole grains
Refined grains, like white rice and pasta, have lost 90% of their nutritional value through the refining process. As if that weren’t reason enough to choose whole grains like brown rice, quinoa and whole oats, a recent study showed that a diet rich in whole grains actually flattens your belly by reducing fat storage in your lower abdominal region.

Yogurt
Making yogurt part of your daily eating routine can improve your digestion — if you’re buying the right stuff. Check that the label lists “active cultures” to make sure you’re getting healthy probiotics, and pick a yogurt rich in vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.

Find local yogurt, local onions, local greens and more at Colorado Local Market.

Food Inc. is now free to watch online. Check it out!

http://www.sprword.com/videos/foodinc/