local love: Shatto Farm
August 29, 2007
I don't usually post on food. For one, I am not a super-foodie. I LOVE to eat it. But I'm not very good at preparing anything other than baked dessert goods and yummy salads. However, I've been giving a lot of thought lately to growth hormones, antibiotics, packaging, recycling, consumerism and the like. Nothing new, really. Lots of bloggers have posted on this recently as well.
Also, I've never been a good curb-side recycler. I'll admit that. I have a friend who is really into being the best green person she can be, and never fails to make me feel like I don't do enough. However, we don't consume a lot of canned or boxed foods, nor do we drink sodas from cans or bottles... so our trash issue isn't overwhelming. I've always had fun re-using things like those Hunt's spaghetti cans (throw some fabric on them and they are perfect for pens, markers and sewing supplies. And 2-liter bottles (The older one likes to cut these up and use them for projects.) And flat cardboard (like cereal boxes) gets saved for use in little craft projects, or used for tracing guides. I've got circles, squares, flower shapes -- you name it. Makes quilt appliques really easy and fast. I like to sew using found fabrics at goodwill. Even the Older One came downstairs the other day with a skirt she outgrew, but a fabric she loves. She wants to make it into a bag. It guess this kind of thing rubs off. Who knew?
(ANYWAY. Wow. That went on a while. Sorry. I really am going somewhere.)
Now I'm thinking that plastic gallon grocery store (PGGS) milk just doesn't cut it. Especially since that is pretty much a HUGE part of Fidget's daily diet. The PGGS stuff is from a local dairy. I scoured their website, as well as that of a local competitor, and I just didn't see anything about it being hormone free or otherwise. Living out here in God's heartland, you'd think ANY milk that comes straight from the dairy to our stores is good enough. Maybe it is. But just hoping so isn't good enough for me.
Good thing I am in love with our new milk from the Shatto farm. For a couple reasons.
- Locally grown, free range grass fed cows.
- Family farm of 60+ years.
- No hormones.
- Reusable Glass Containers - just bring 'em back to the store.
- They offer tours! And family days! Come and feed the calves! (I cannot wait for this, when Fidget is a little older. She'll love it.)
The milk is yummy. And I like the way the bottles clink in my fridge. And the family name Shatto cracks me up. It's exactly how someone here in Missouri might spell Chateau. hee hee.
Edited to add: Photos from the shatto farm website. And to clarify that I wasn't poking fun of the Shatto name. On the contrary, it makes me smile! ;) And, as a marketing designer, I appreciate the clean lines of the bottle art as well as the family logo. Have a happy day!