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Heath, yet another brilliant article. I really need to purchase this Wendell Berry book for myself, as although it was written in '77, it couldn't be any more prescient in its commentaries on various aspects of society. If anything, things have only gotten worse than he could've imagined when he authored that tome.

What I really wanted to discuss, however, is organic food and how much I love it. As a fellow New Englander (I'm originally from South of Boston and today live in Central Vermont), I'm blessed to have so many great local farms from which we can purchase grain-fed meats, produce, and dairy products. In fact, I have really no choice but to acquire mostly organic foods because I have severe food allergies.

My biggest allergies are to whey and soy proteins, meaning that I really can't consume dairy at all; although I can eat eggs without any issue. I actually went completely vegan for several years, but due to soy protein eventually becoming the stock of most processed vegan foods, I decided to nix being fully vegan in exchange for eating eggs, shellfish, and beans as my primary sources of protein. I can't properly digest most meats, especially red meat which actually makes me sick, thanks to having a bout with cancer that destroyed my ability to digest many types of food.

One thing that is a bit disappointing in our neck of the woods in Vermont (yes, literally the woods), is that we live in dairy country. This is great for eggs, obviously, and great for my partner when it comes to milk and cheese. But, when it comes to most organic products, our nearest organic supermarket is in Saratoga Springs, New York, an hour and twenty minute drive one way. Yes, there is one of the same chain in Williston, Vermont, but that's a two-hour drive one way. I lament that our nearest big town, Rutland, has only infrequent farmer's markets and no supermarkets focusing on organic products.

However, now that I'm aware of all these awesome farms in central and western Massachusetts it may be well worth looking into these options, especially as my partner still eats other meat besides the shrimp, scallops, and lobster that I can eat. I'm obsessed with focusing on grain-fed only - as the soy fed to many factory farm animals eventually contaminates everything else. The prices I see are exactly what we pay per pound in Saratoga Springs/Williston, and if we can get greater quantity, something that we've found difficult, that could really be a major benefit to our health!

Again, awesome article, and I look forward to reading many more!

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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, Amelia! I'm glad you were able to find some useful information, even if it's mostly from my neck of the woods. It's true that sometimes finding good food may take some more effort or travel, but I am also still discovering new sources of organic foods nearby that I never knew existed! I think of it like a connect-the-dots picture. The more lines you can draw between two disparate points, the more clear the whole picture becomes. Hopefully with some more digging, you may find some sources closer to home too that are hidden now but just waiting to be uncovered!

I'm sorry to hear about your cancer too. That's rough and I'm glad you're on the other side of it. One thing worth mentioning when it comes to dairy is that you may want to investigate A2 casein milk. The short version is that casein is a protein in milk and all cows used to produce A2. At some point, there was a genetic mutation and many cows in the US and in northern climates began to produce A1 casein. Humans have a natural resistance to A1 and many people that have lactose issues don't have the same reactions with A2. Cheeses from places like Italy and Switzerland are good alternatives (we use gruyere for almost everything) and there are companies in the US now that raise A2 cows and test for the casein. We get our milk from Walden Local Meat, which sources their milk from an A2 farm in Upstate NY. Jersey cows often produce A2 as well, although they need to be tested to confirm.

Keep me posted on your food journey and good luck!

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That's fascinating about the different proteins in milk. I had a feeling that it was due to a genetic mutation more recently since I had no issue with fairy until 2021. As far as local organic food is concerned, I've looked in depth for places closer to home and those that did exist no longer do. There's a massive truck driver shortage here and a lack of labor too so that's probably why there's nothing local. It's at the point making a trip to Central Mass is actually worth our time. I mentioned the place in Carlisle to my partner and she agreed it would be worth checking out. Again, thanks for your insights!

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Yeah, there's a lot of great farms in this area. Just make sure you check hours in advance- they're not all open every day. And some places sell out early too!

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