Why I Gave Organic Candy on Halloween

This post is in response to the many questions, side-eyes, eye-rolls, names (ehhem "food snob") and backhanded compliments that come my way on most holidays that involve food. Easter, Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, birthdays, Christmas - many more in between - and of course, Halloween. If you're reading this, it's likely because you too have made the decision to detoxify or optimize your body, your life, the lives of your friends and family and ultimately the world we live in and you seek to support progress in our food culture. Because of that, I'm sure you've been on the receiving end of sometimes negative or passive aggressive comments and body language too.


I believe most people dish out these reactions, not because they are rude or disrespectful, but instead because they do not understand why I choose to buy and cook and bring and serve what I do. I can understand that. We've all cast judgement on someone at some point in our lives instead of seeking to understand. So, for anyone who wishes to better understand why I and others like me make some of the choices that we do, here is the #1 reason I handed out organic Halloween candy last week.

Farm Focus: Longview Farm & Market

What - A - Gem!
If you know me personally, you know that I talk, or dream really, at length about my vision for our country: where you can identify the farm your milk came from, you know your farmer by name, where fruits and vegetables and herbs and animals are left to grow at their natural pace to their natural size eating their natural diet and therefore don't pollute our bodies when we eat them, where you know what you are feeding your body because you made it, or you can name who made it, and because you, or they, can not only pronounce  but produce every ingredient.I was born in the 1980's, so this, sadly, is a dream. But for many who still call our country home, this is not a dream, but a description of how life once was, not all that long ago.

When I visit places like Longview Farm & Market, I feel extremely hopeful that my dream will become reality in my lifetime. Longview and its team have maintained what it has always meant to farm

Today's Challenge: Eat Your Colors

This post is less informational and more inspirational.. motivational.

A simple mission for today, a step in a life-changing direction: Leave the food choices of the past in the past. Today, you're going to

Locate Organic Resources and Restaurants Near You

I come from a fairly small town in Northeastern Pennsylvania void of any real "Organic Scene". When I moved to Philadelphia, I was overwhelmed with restaurant and market options - in a good way! For an East Coast city, it does an OK job keeping the organic spots in business. 

But when I moved to the suburbs this year, I was LOST. I needed help and FAST. I was now located within 5 minutes of a FANTASTIC Whole Foods (Shout-Out to Everyone who Makes Whole Foods Plymouth Meeting such a Great Shopping / Dining / Socializing Experience!!), but I needed to find my farmers, my restaurants, my coffee and tea spots. 

All my prayers were answered with EatWellGuide.Org. This website searches its database of local, organic, and sustainable establishments based on your location and specified criteria. Even in an east coast suburb I was able to find my Saturday Farmer's Market, Birthday Dinner Restaurant and even discovered a GREAT Coffee Spot that was right under my nose the whole time!

What's more - If you plan to do any traveling in the near future, they have a great tool that allows you to plan ahead by scoping our all of your organic options along your route! Pretty awesome, right!?

Thanks to EatWellGuide.Org for hooking all of us up with such a useful tool!

Keep It Real,

LVO