Natural foods are very near and dear to my heart. I’m not a master gardener by any stretch of the imagination, but I so want to be. I can just imagine a yard full of fruit trees and a lovely weed free garden and gorgeous perennials, bulbs and flowering trees that bloom in a wonderful sequence from early spring to late fall. But the reality is not quite there yet.
Farmers markets are one of my passions. I am so impressed
with how hard our local family farmers work to produce
the amazing fresh fruits and vegetables that they bring to the market each week. There is an amazing difference in taste when something is picked when it’s ripe and it doesn’t have to go on a long journey to reach us.
I also enjoy meeting the people that grow my food. Last year when there was a big scare about spinach being contaminated, I didn’t even have to give it a second thought because I knew exactly where my spinach came from and who grew it. It’s also wonderful
to celebrate each new fruit and vegetable as it comes into season. There is nothing on this earth like the taste of a fresh tomato that was allowed to grow and ripen outdoors as nature intended, and when they begin to arrive at the farmers market there is truly excitement
in the air.
We enjoy having the opportunity to enjoy each new fruit and vegetable when it’s in season, eating it for a few weeks, and freezing a bit for later, It’s also fun to learn about new fruits and veggies that we have not yet experienced. Kale is a good example of that for me, before I started visiting farmers markets I thought it was just used as a garnish, but turns out it is quite tasty and super healthy.
Have you heard about our new Natural Pet magazine? This will be a quarterly publication that focuses on pets of all kinds. If you love pets, be sure to watch for it, or you can subscribe for just $20 per year. Send your check made payable to Natural Awakenings to P.O. Box 341081 Detroit, MI 48234-1081 and we’ll mail it right to your door step. Prospective advertisers can take advantage of special premier issue pricing, and we’re offering added savings for our current advertisers who want to be included in both magazines.
Can you feel a bit of the entrepreneurial spirit in the air? It’s definitely alive and well in the metro Detroit area. The Russell Bazaar is a great example. It’s located off I-75 just North of the I-94 interchange. It’s an urban ‘mall’ of sorts created in an old GM building, chock full vendors with all sorts of interesting things for sale. Jim Chapman (JT) does a wonderful job of bringing in events and working with the vendors to keep this place hopping. It’s a bit of an incubator for local entrepreneurs and its located in a complex that exemplifies the concept of re-use, recycle, re-purpose on a large scale. Be sure to stop in sometime, you can find some great deals on new items, or antiques, get something to eat or even a tattoo!
One of my favorite parts of publishing Natural Awakenings magazine is getting to work with so many different business owners. I enjoy learning about their dreams and vision, and then working with them to help get their messages out to those that want to hear them. It seems that it’s all about making connections, and it seems that the harder that you work, the luckier you get.
I encourage you to make a strong effort to buy locally all that you possibly can. Each dollar that you spend is like voting, so be sure to do it mindfully because it makes a big difference for all of us.
Live Well.
