That's what the big grocery stores tell you. Where do those Turkeys come from, though? Unless you're buying an organic or clearly labeled free range Turkey, it is coming from a factory farm. That's not what the pilgrims had in mind. Our turkeys are raised right here in western Wisconsin. They are fed and tended by caring farm families, and have plenty of room to roam. Those grocery store turkeys likely spent their lives in a dark, stuffy shed with thousands of other birds. They are almost certainly pumped full of antibiotics because of these grim living conditions. You and your family will be healthy and happy, just like our turkeys, after giving thanks to the abundance of the earth this Thanksgiving with a meal provided by local farmers and brought to you by Just Local Food.

Gifts from the Good Earth Turkeys are certified organic. They are frozen fresh when they still have access to fresh food and sunshine in the warmer months of the year. They are $3.69/# and are available year round. Order early for Thanksgiving delivery.

Govin's turkeys will be delivered fresh for Thanksgiving. Their birds are kept healthy and happy right up into November, so you can enjoy a real, fresh (never frozen) turkey with your family. These are priced at $2.69/# and are available fresh only for delivery a day or two before Thanksgiving.

We're now fully stocked in honey and bee related products from Honey Hill Apiary in nearby Maiden Rock. Honey Hill is a family run apiary that makes all of their products by hand in-house. The benefits of consuming local honey are many. We have the honey in 12, 16, 32 & 48oz jars. Their spreadable creamed honeys are perfect on toast, and they come in plain, pecan, strawberry and cinnamon. I'll be giving you a thousand uses for beeswax (available in one pound blocks) in issues to come. Get ready for winter with their homemade lip balm. And their homemade handcream and moisture bars help keep skin from getting dry. Welcome to Just Local Food, Honey Hill!

Maple Syrup

We've got delicious Grade A Maple Syrup from Eric at Watkins/Oberli near Barron. It's available in pints and quarts. You may know Watkins/Oberli from the Downtown Farmers Market.

My recent visit with Helen and Kris from Wheatfield Hill Organics had me coming home with a load of squash. They grow premier vegetables and berries in addition to the Beef we've been carrying for a few months. They had a surplus of Festival and Acorn squash, and we're passing the savings on to you. You can get them for $2 each or 3 for $5.

Acorns are a somewhat oval-shaped winter squash with a ribbed, dark green skin and orange flesh. Festivals have pale yellow skin with medium green striations. Inside, the succulent yellow flesh tastes like a cross between sweet potatoes and butternut squash. The most common method of preparing both types is to halve them, remove the seeds and bake. They may then be eaten directly from the shell.

You may have heard of nitrates/nitrites in our food supply. These are used in the preservation process. When smoked or dried foods like bacon or snack sticks are made, they are held in the "danger zone" of bacteria for hours or days. Nitrites take care of these bad bacteria. Nitrites also preserve the pink color in ham. Our suppliers are aware that consumers are concerned about Nitrates/Nitrites in their food supply. Unfortunately, no suitable alternative to them has been found yet. Our suppliers have assured me that there are no real risks associated with the very limited nitrates in their products. I will continue to research nitrates and will share any information I gather with you. The products we carry that may have nitrates are Kostka's bacon, ham steak, and brats, and Govin's lamb brats.

The Kostka Family Farm and Just Local Food have worked out a great way for you to try out their great products, save money, and get ready for the holidays all at once. Order a Bundle and you’ll get:

1 pack of pork links

1 pack of brats

1 pack of ground pork

1 pound of bacon

1 pack of chops

2 packs of steak

2 packs of ham

1. Freshness. Locally-grown organic fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the consumer. Produce from California can’t be that fresh.

2. Taste. Produce picked and eaten at the height of freshness tastes better.

3. Nutrition. Nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest. Because locally-grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete.

4. Purity. Eighty percent of American adults say they are concerned about the safety of the food they eat. They worry about residues of pesticides and fungicides. These materials are not permitted in an organic production system either before or after harvest.

5. Regional Economic Health. Buying locally grown food keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy, increasing the local quality of life.

6. Variety. Organic farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful unusual varieties you will never find on supermarket shelves.

7. Soil Stewardship. Soil health is essential for the survival of our species. Conventional farming practices are rapidly depleting topsoil fertility. Creating and sustaining soil fertility is the major objective for organic growers.

9. Environmental Protection. Soil erosion; pesticide contamination of soil, air, and water; nitrate loading of waterways and wells; and elimination of planetary biodiversity are some of the problems associated with today’s predominate farming methods. Organic growers use practices that protect soil, air, and water resources; and that promote biodiversity.

10. Cost. Conventional food processes don’t reflect the hidden costs of the environmental, health and social consequences of predominate production practices- of, for instance, correcting a water supply polluted by agricultural runoff, or obtaining medical treatment for pesticide induced illness suffered by farmers or consumers.

11. A Step Toward Regional Food Self Reliance. Dependency on far away food sources leaves a region vulnerable to supply disruptions, and removes any real accountability of producer to consumer. It also tends to promote larger, less diversified farms that hurt both the environment and local economies/communities. Regional food production systems, on the other hand, keep the food supply in the hands of many, providing interesting job and self-employment opportunities, and enabling people to influence how their food is grown.

As a small community enterprise we thought some of our customers might have a few of the items we need to operate our business. If you have any of the following items feel free to put them out with a note on your cooler. Thanks for your support!

-towels (bath & dish)

-clipboards

-calculators

-small to medium coolers

We can also take your empty egg cartons and paper shopping bags.

When the weather changes, so do eggs. As chickens bulk up for winter, sometimes their eggs change in size and appearance. They may lay fewer eggs in the colder months as well. Please understand that as a local, natural product the eggs we carry may vary from week to week and from carton to carton. One thing stays the same though, and that's our commitment to providing you with fresh, natural, local farm goods of the highest quality we can find.