1. This is just too sad – Farmers leave strawberries to rot as prices collapse.  The weather in Florida has been crazy this winter. First the tomatoes, now the strawberries.
2. Check out this link to  an interesting new local crop being grown in California.
3. For those of you who like Asian Pears, a new drink has been developed – link here.
4. Can’t get your kids to eat their vegetables? Here’s a story about Dutch researchers who tested children to find out what was there preferred way of eating vegetables. Steamed or boiled vegetables won out over other methods of preparation.
5. Eating healthier is certainly one of the items in the forefront of the news these day, especially given Michelle Obama’s involvement in children’s nutrition issues. It is hard to change the way you eat; expecting overnight change is certainly unrealistic. But baby steps will certainly help. Here is a column about that very issue: Confessions of a Locavore Pretender.
6. A novel idea to help Detroit’s economy: Is urban farming Detroit’s cash cow? Detroit has been on a downhill slide in recent years and much of the city is vacant. This sounds like a good way to add local jobs, produce local food and add dollars to the local economy. One of the proposed farms could be 2,000 acres. Wow!

Enjoy!

Frito Lay thinks so. The potato chip company has started a new series of ads that feature the farmers who grow the potatoes used to make the Frito Lay potato chips you find on the shelves at your local grocer.

Frito-Lay pitches its Lay’s potato chips as locally made

I am not sure that buying a bag of chips qualifies as buying local. However, you have to give Lays some credit for supporting the American farmer.

The definition of a locavore is someone who eats food grown or produced locally usually defined as within a certain radius such as 50 or 100 miles. With the “Buy Local” movement growing by leaps and bounds, it is not surprising to see the food companies trying to cash in, much as they did with the organic movement.

However, here is an idea for a truly local potato chip. Stop by this summer and pick up some of our delicious potatoes and make your own! Below is a recipe to show you how simple it is. I remember my mother making homemade potato chips when I was young and boy were they good!

Homemade Potato Chips