Really, California?  Really with the fruit?  Again?  Really?  For those who don't know, I briefly twittered about the border patrol in California that is doing a suberb job of protecting the people of California from out-of-state fruits.   

(Not so good a job at protecting people from illegals from other countries who run into cars filled with children on the highway and then flee the scene, but I digress.)

They are, however, EXCELLENT at protecting the people of California from fresh fruits, vegetables, and raw dairy products.  Which is kind of ironic if you think about it because a good portion of our nation's produce is grown IN California...and good portion of that is organic.  Kind of doesn't make sense, does it?

Anyways...back at the end of June, they raided the Rawesome Foods Co-op warehouse in Venice, CA.  No one's quite sure why, though.

Perhaps they're just bored?  Find the fruit easier to tame than people coming illegally from another country?  The fruit charge more for day labor?

Who knows?

For the record, it is not illegal to sell raw milk or raw milk products in California.  (For info on the raw milk laws in your area, check out Real Milk courtesy of the Weston Price Foundation.)

So...if it's not illegal to grow or sell produce and it's not illegal to manufacture or sell raw milk or raw milk products, then what was the problem?  Surely there must be SOME logic to it, though, right? Please tell me there is.  I cannot for the life of me imagine what that logic might be, but I have to believe that somehow, someway there is a logical reason for them raiding a raw foods health store with their GUNS DRAWN!!!



I guess that kind of makes sense, though.  I remember that robbery last spring when a band of rabid strawberries stormed into a bank like a S.W.A.T team and took everyone down with their automatic weapons.  Or maybe it was because of that hoard of raw milk jugs and raw yogurt containers that went throughout LA randomly attacking people without provocation? Yup.  DEFINITELY a reason to go into a health food store with RAW fruits, veggies, and dairy products ready to defend yourself against the heavily armed produce and dairy products.  Definitely a reason.

Thank goodness we have the police to protect us from that nasty, chemical-infested, rabid, gun-toting raw, organic food!

(You can find detailed info on the raid and the charges directly from the owner of Rawesome Foods himself here.)

Feed my kids popsicles for breakfast?  Why not?  

(What kind of a mom ARE you?  You'd feed your kids POPSICLES for BREAKFAST?!?!  I'm not sure I can keep reading your blog!) 

I promise.  I'm not crazy.  In fact, I can almost guarantee that YOU will feed YOUR kids popsicles for breakfast too after I'm done with you.  These aren't your typical "is there even any actual fruit in there" popsicles.  These are popsicles that you and/or your kids make from scratch.  And it's EASY!

The easiest way to make popsicles at home is to use pre-packaged fruit juice that you'd buy at the store.  If you purchase a juice from the "Simply" juice line, the Lakewood "Just" juice line, or the Knudsen "Pure" juice line, then you'll be giving your kids pure fruit juice popsicles.  (The Minute Maid "Simply" juices would be the cheapest of the above.  They're also found at almost all grocery stores.  The others are more costly and aren't carried in all regular grocery stores, but also come in organic varieties.)

I like to go a step further here, though.  I like to find creative ways to use the fresh fruit that I get...especially as it gets past its prime.  (I know every one of us has that apple that gets lost in the back of the fruit drawer in the fridge.)  Many people think these fruits are trash.  The opposite is actually true.  The riper the fruit gets, the sweeter it becomes.  I wouldn't eat it plain, but I'll freeze this fruit straight to use in smoothies or...my kid's favorite...puree the fruit and make homemade popsicles.

The ingredients are incredibly simple:

• A blender, food processor, or smoothie maker
• Popsicle holders (or small cups)
• Lids for the popsicle holders or small popsicle sticks
• Fruit...Be creative!
• Some sort of liquid: Yogurt or Kefir can be used for a thicker popsicle.  Juice or water can be used to make it more light.

I am very opinionated. I know. Shocker. One thing I am very passionate about it healthy living. Part of healthy living is eating right. I don't mean eating the right portions at the right times; although that certainly would be prudent regardless of what you're eating. I'm talking about ensuring that the food going into your mouth is actually food and not full of chemicals...or in some cases so chock-ful of chemicals that you wonder if there is actually any real food in there.

I won't cover everything I think about Organics right now, but this is a start.

After much research, here's the conclusion we came to. We should never again eat any food that has ever been sprayed with a pesticide or chemical nor should we ever again eat any food that has had an antibiotic or hormone put into it. Seriously. That was my conclusion.

Then reality set in. I combined that with the fact that we have a daughter who is gluten-intolerant. Then I tried to figure out how we could afford to eat that way. Then I tried to find organic produce in the town we lived in.

Then I started doing research on the farming methods of some of the "name-brand" companies that also do organic farming. Then I started doing research on the requirements (or lack thereof) for organic farmers.

Then...I realized there was a middle ground. Granted this all took place over the course of about two years and in two different states with VASTLY different agriculture sceneries.

What I have now learned is that the MOST vital thing to do is to KNOW YOUR LOCAL FARMERS. Visit the farm. Show up not only for a scheduled visit, but show up unexpectedly. Know the right questions to ask.

A farmer DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CERTIFIED ORGANIC TO GROW ORGANIC PRODUCE!!!!!

That was a shocker to me and a HUGE release on our budget. What do we look for in a local grower? Here are the questions we ask:

• Do you spray your produce with chemicals or pesticides?
• Do you spray after you have planted your produce?
• Do you spray from 3wks before your produce starts to "fruit" or grow on?
• Do you spray after the produce has started to "fruit" or grow? (They will know exactly what you mean.)

(Obviously, I stop asking questions if/when they answer no to one of mine; the sooner the better...for both of us.)

What I love to find is a local grower who NEVER sprays their produce. What I'll take is a local grower who only sprays when they plant. What I'll settle for is a local grower who doesn't spray their produce from approximately 3 weeks before it starts "fruiting" on. Obviously the 1st gets the bulk of our business but may not provide us with all of the produce we need. That's when we'll start going with grower #2 and in a "worst case scenario" grower #3.

There are some exceptions to our rule. There are some produce items that you just DO NOT buy if they have been sprayed with chemicals AT ANY POINT in their growing process. Apples would be an example. We will not buy these unless they are "organic" (or in our case...have never been sprayed...organically-certified or not).

There are also some produce items that they say are okay to buy even if they've been sprayed. I couldn't even begin to tell you what those items are. We just follow our general rule for all produce; which is obviously much easier to do in the summer than it is in the winter.

To find Farmer's Markets, organic farmers (certified or not), and/or Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs in your area, check out http://www.localharvest.org/. We have used this each time we move with great success. It is often our first point of contact with a local farmer. I will blog about CSA's in more detail another time. Suffice to say, they are a great deal for those on a vegetarian diet or for those who eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies.

This is getting pretty long so I'll give my thoughts on other organics in a later thread...don't worry...I have them. Things like dairy products, meats, and poultry...

-Me