A tough challenge: Buy local, fresh food

In my quest to partake in the 100-mile challenge (purchasing all your food within a 100-mile radius of your home) I have discovered a bountiful selection of local farmers with wonderful programs to get their food into your home. Purchasing sustainable foods from growers who use natural farming practices ensures that you are putting good, chemical/hormone-free food into your body. As a society, we need to rethink how we look at our food source and how we shop.

Cable Creek Farms in Post Falls is owned by Dave and Beth Tysdal and Kris Carey. They are a community supported agriculture farm, or CSA. This means that any member of the community can pay an annual membership and buy shares of the farm's bountiful harvest.

They have owned the farm for four years. Last year they did a trial run on their organic garden. All of the food produced was donated to the Food Bank. This year will be the second year of the organic garden but the first year offering CSA. They are currently one of the only known CSA farms in Kootenai County that offers home delivery. They offer produce/egg shares and meat shares. Those shares recently sold out but they're accepting calls on a waiting list.

If you purchase a produce share, each week a wonderful selection of fresh vegetables, flowers, fruits, herbs, and one dozen eggs will arrive at your doorstep. The eggs are from natural fed, free-range chickens. In addition, you will receive recipes for each week's harvest, a newsletter from the farm and information about that week's food selection. You will also receive a list of what to expect the following week.

They have a few share options available. You may purchase a full share, which will feed a family of 4-5, or you may purchase a half share. The half share is perfect for families of 2-3. Finally, you may decide to purchase a full share, but opt for bi-weekly delivery. Share delivery begins this week and continues through October.

If a meat share is purchased, once a month you will receive four free range, antibiotic/hormone-free chickens and 20 pounds of 100 percent organic grass-fed local beef in a variety of cuts. Once again, they will deliver to your doorstep. A half meat share option is also available. If your family eats more chicken than beef, a chicken-lover's package is available. Chicken can also be purchased separately at $2.50 a pound. Meat share delivery begins in June and continues until the following March.

Each share member can visit the farm and see firsthand where the produce and meat are raised. If you have ever seen the movie "Food Inc" you'll know how important this is. It is hard to control what we are consuming if we don't know where our food comes from. We need to support our local growers and farmers who work hard to give us fresh food from the earth.

For more information on Cable Creek Farms, visit their website at www.cablecreekfarm.com or call 208-773-3203.

Michele Sheets is a mother of five and an organic cook who will be writing occasional columns on local farmers. E-mail: michybeans@verizon.net.