Hudson Grande Celebrates Earth Month with Farm to Table Dining

The last week of April is a special time for the culinary department at Hudson Grande Senior Living Hudson, OH. In honor of Earth Month, we will be celebrating and embracing the Farm to Table concept. While the terminology is often overused, the idea is a basic one that stems from the days when the food you ate came from the farm you lived on or nearby. Practices may have changed but utilizing the produce and livestock from local farms and growers has many benefits. For example, did you know most produce loses nutrients within 24 hours of harvesting? Have you ever noticed how fresh meat is moister and more flavorful?

Farm to Table also helps strengthen the local economy by providing jobs and keeping money in the hands of businesses run by our neighbors and friends. It helps to build relationships between the farmer or rancher and the customer. Both sides benefit greatly from sourcing local items. If an item becomes scarce, or pricing becomes high, this valued relationship can be instrumental in helping us to continue to provide the exceptional food our residents have come to expect from us with minimal interruption.

The dish I’m making is barbeque chicken salad with these locally sourced ingredients: chicken, bacon, honey, garlic, butter, buttermilk, eggs, lettuce, chives, and apples. I’ll source the chicken and bacon from Duma Meat https://www.dumameats.com/; butter and buttermilk from Buckeye Creamery https://www.buckeyecountrycreamery.com/; honey and eggs from Hudson Honey Company http://www.hudsonhoneyco.com/; garlic from Thaxton’s Organic Garlic http://www.thaxtonsorganicgarlic.com/about-us; lettuce and chives from Great Lakes Growers https://www.greatlakesgrowers.com/; and apples from Bauman Orchards https://baumanorchards.com/.

Having lived on a small farm as a child and harvesting our chickens for meat and eggs I’m particularly partial to chicken. The local apples that bring me back to so many childhood memories are available year-round and are delicious.

Growing up in Rittman Ohio, where Bauman Orchards are located, I have many fond memories of shopping at their market as a child. The market was located just down the street from my childhood home, and I used to love riding my bike down the street to purchase a fresh apple. The thing I remember most is seeing all the rows of beautiful apple trees situated on the rolling hills next to the market. Visually stimulated and excited to enjoy a fresh apple, walking into the market and smelling all the fresh apples is a smell I can remember to this day!

There are many positive effects of sustainable local agriculture. I think the most important role it plays for our community is the conservation of our environment. Growing locally helps air quality and improves soil quality. It helps reduce carbon footprints, such as relying on shipped goods. Local honey is extremely vital to our health as it helps us build allergen immunity. And finally, it allows us to help support our neighbors.

For us, buy local isn’t just a bumper sticker. It should be embraced and promoted as much as possible. Even if you couldn’t be here to enjoy it with us, I hope you can enjoy the content included here and feel inspired to visit some of these local vendors!