I would really love to be able to go to a local farmers market, or even better visit a local organic farm and dairy farm to purchase our healthier, cleaner items on the grocery list. I also would love the opportunity to bring my daughter, not quite 2 years old to see where we get the food we eat.
Any suggestions on how to fond such farms or know of any in the western suburbs of Chicago. We live in the Fox Valley area, but would definitely be willing to drive a ways just for the experience alone! Please help! Thanks so much...
H.
http://www.localharvest.org/search.jsp?lat=41.74577&l...
Hi H.,
This is a fabulous website. Local Harvest will locate farms, CSA's , etc anywhere in the country !
Kristen
www.anniesbuyingclub.com is where I used to get all my organic fruits/veggies.. It gets shipped to a location and once per week you go pick it up ... Not sure if they go outside of Florida, but you can find out :)
Have you been on you county's website. that's where I find the listings for our farmer's markets.
We love the CSA at the Green Earth Institute in Naperville. This year you can do a remote pick up, but if you go to the farm you can see where everything is grown and they have a couple of "you pick" items each year.
My husband sent me this link last week and I will be checking it out. http://www.eatwild.com/products/illinois.html. There is a list of local farms, pretty cool.
I have heard there is an organic farm near Elburn, west of Randall Rd, off of Rt. 38, I'm sorry I don't know the name but you might be able to google it. There is also a beef farmer near Maple Park that sells angus beef right from his farm. We have a farmers market here in sycamore but I bet your town does too, check your chamber of commerce.
It's a great resource for local fruit/veggie farms...even Christmas tree farms. I love it!
Thanks for asking H.. I live in your general area and would also love to know this. Often towns will have a farmer's market once a week - ours is not so good. But I've been to Arlington Heights and they are great. I've also heard Geneva's is really good too. Both are too far of a drive for me but may be closer to you.
Just check on the web sites for your town and neighboring towns and they usually publish something there.
I have no idea about the actual farms though. If you find something, please share!
Update: a quick Google search got me this:
http://www.aurora-il.org/community_services/city_events/e...
Update #2:
http://www.agr.state.il.us/agrihappenings/farmers.php
Geneva is a more eco-friendly farmer's market than any you will find in your area, without driving to downtown Chicago, at least. They are currently still having their winter market (indoors), but they have a "Green Market" in the summer as well, at a different location.
One of the vendors, Pure Prairie Farm, has greenhouses and are always looking for visitors/volunteers (they LOVE having kids visit!) They are on the premises for We Grow Dreams in West Chicago.
Elburn has a variety of organic farms, including Heritage Prairie Farm/Market, which has a CSA, farm dinners throughout the year, and a small market with produce, meat, dairy, honey from their hives, etc. Erehwon is in Elburn as well, and is a larger farm with CSA and tours in the summer.
For more resources, joining the Elgin Weston A Price chapter is a great idea. They have monthly meetings and access to speakers from local farms, innovative recipes based on Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and schedule farm tours in IL and WI (usually in summer), and can connect you with dairy farmers for raw milk. There are loads of green festivals coming up around Earth Day and throughout the next few months (Elgin has one, there is on in St Charles, I believe--- contact Peaceful Parlour for more info on those,) and there is a big one at Cantigny each year in the Wheaton area.
We are pretty lucky in that our area is FULL of farms and resources... it's just a matter of finding them :)
I have a few listed on my blog, if you are interested:
www.chickiepea.wordpress.com
M.
PS- Azure Standard is making midwest drops now; check their site. I am coordinating the Wheaton drop, but there is a Naperville and several others. There are also Frontier drops, and Country Life drops, as well as MooGrass Farms, Angelic Organics, and many many other CSAs.
For grocery shopping on the cheap, try Trader Joe's and Woodman's. Obviously Whole Foods and healthfood stores will have organics as well.
Do you have a health food store in your community? I would ask there :)
