Kathy and I went to the Sunshine market on 500 West/State St., but it didn't live up to my hippie expectations.
And it had a thirsty fail.
I want to buy local. I don't want my money going to some CEO. I want it to go to a family right here in Provo. In down times we have to help each other out.
So I googled "Provo farms" or something, and found a place that sells fresh eggs and honey made right here in Provo.
Clifford Family Farms at 1461 N. 2100 W. Provo.
It's five minutes from Macey's Food on 500 W.
To get there:
You'll see this on your right:
The road will start to go uphill and curve. Just stay on it.
Drive for a few more blocks and you'll bump right into this:
The front door had a sign that said come in and help yourself. But I rang the doorbell and waited a minute before letting myself in. A large fridge held several cartons of eggs, and a lone jar of honey sat on a wooden bench.
A plastic bottle partially filled with money indicated that I should just take what I wanted and leave the asked price. These people are honest.
But then a teenage boy showed up, in answer to me having rung the doorbell. His name was Zack and he lived there. I asked him about the farm, it's about three acres. They have sheep too, but they don't use them for meat, because his mom came to care for them too much. Anyone is free to tour around the farm to see what it's like. It's that kind of transparency that could really keep our food supply safe and honest.
I grabbed a jar of honey and a box of eggs, wrote a check out to Clifford Family Farms, and stuffed it into the jar.
I bought 18 fresh local eggs for $5.30, which is a ton of money for what I usually get for eggs. But I'm okay with that because:
1. It's going to my neighbors.
2. A chicken lays only 1 egg a day, that's a lot of work for 18 eggs.
I bought a 32 ounce jar of honey for $13.00, which is a good deal for good honey. Because.
1. A 32 ounce soda costs about $1.30, 1/10th of the price, but 1/16th the amount of syrup, or sugar content.
2. Fresh, local honey tastes a lot better than the watered-down over-pasteurized store-bought stuff.
3. And no hidden costs.
. . . Food at the supermarket isn't as cheap as it appears. It's cheaper because the government takes our money and gives it to the companies that make our food. And these huge businesses don't pay for the pollution they make, which inflicts an unseen cost on our planet.
I didn't take a tour of their farm yet. I plan on going back when Kathy can come.
You can call Julie Clifford or email her if you have any questions:
Buying Local: Eggs and Honey
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5 comments:
I think Wendell Berry would be proud of you.
one issue i have with buying local is that if everyone did it, our economy would be in huge trouble...we'd have tons more or our neighbors out of jobs. but you're right about it feeling good to put money into local things. i just don't know. can you be a liberal capitalist? i think that's what i am.
Hi Kathy! I read your "catching up" post on the the Alta blog. It was really fun to read. I was quite disconcerted when I read about your mom and her mysterious disease. Is she ok now? Will you tell her "Hello" from me and thank her for the kind note that she wrote me when I was 17. I still have it and have read it a few times since then. Her love and concern really touched me.
Do you feel the same way about Costco as you do for instance Wal-Mart? Just wondering. But I am going to visit the Clifford farm today thanks to you!
Miss Ashley,
I feel better about Costco than I do about Wal-Mart, which is why I shop at Costco and not at Wal-mart.
Local trade has all but been destroyed by the industrial mindset and the market-crippling laws that accompany it. So it is all but impossible to purchase everything locally. We can, however, choose to spend our money at businesses that treat their workers well, treat the Earth well, and treat their factory workers and suppliers well. In each of these scenarios Costco gets 3 to 5 stars, and Wal-Mart 0 to 2.
Also, there are many goods that will never be available locally, such as coconuts, chocolate, coffee, bananas, avocados, etc. Long-distance trade will therefore remain an important part of our economy.
But what we can buy locally we should buy locally. It will strengthen our community, ensure the quality of our products, and secure the safety of our food supply.
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