Peterson Farm

We know you are enjoying the early fall weather with cooler temperatures and recent gentle rains. The trees here at the farm are just beginning to show a little color and soon will be dressed in a colorful blaze of glory. Summer crops are gone but the cool season crops are doing great.

Recent news reports were that the grocery store chain BI-LO was purchased by Food Lion. What the news reports we heard did not say is that Food Lion is owned by a Belgian food company named Delhaize Group. The truth is Delhaize Group bought the principle interest in BI-LO and plans to integrate the 214 stores into the Food Lion 1300 store food chain here in the US.

The point is that many of the retail store chains are owned by entities in another country. When we buy products from them a large portion of the money goes out of our country. Add to that what might be called the Walmartization of our retail economy where virtually everything is imported and much more money is going to another country and we have an economic scenario that is, in our opinion, eventually unsustainable.

That is why we believe buying local products from locally owned businesses helps ensure a vibrant economy. And you are doing just that when you buy from farmers markets and local farmers. Purchasing local organic and pasture based food ensures the highest value available. The rapid growth of farmers markets is positive but the movement to local needs to extend to all types of products we need and use.

The only attraction of mass produced and imported goods is price. But what is the real price we are paying? The necessary practices to mass produce food creates environmental and health issues. A cheap imported item may last only a year or two and need to be replaced when a quality product may last five or ten years or more.

We can’t realistically expect quality on the cheap. Local companies are better poised to respond to quality demands in order to move their products. And the price may not really be higher when all the benefits are considered.

From our gardens we have turnip and mustard greens, Siberian kale, red Russian kale, toscano kale, arugula, red and green romaine lettuce, Swiss chard, turnip roots, and rutabaga. We still have some butternut squash, cayenne peppers, sweet peppers, and eggplant.

We have shiitake mushrooms in fresh, dehydrated, and powdered.

In our grass fed Jersey beef we have all cuts except sirloin and skirt steak.

There is a good supply of pasture raised chicken as whole chickens, split breast, boneless/skinless breast, whole legs, wings, backs, and necks. We have whole legs on sale at buy three packs and get one free. We also have some large whole chickens you might want to purchase for your upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations instead of turkey.

All meats are still on sale at 10% off the regular price. ( does not apply to special sale on whole chicken legs)

The new chickens are laying well and the eggs are already getting bigger. There are still several dozen medium size and we have them on sale at $.50 off the regular price. Eggs are available whenever we are open for business.

Due to seasonal changes in market traffic and cooler weather we are announcing changes in market hours. Beginning next week we will be open on Wednesday through Friday from 10:00 until 4:00; Saturday 8:00 until 4:00; Sunday 10:00 until 4:00.

Just a reminder that we have pictures of the farm on flickr. www.flickr.com/photos/petersonrealfood

As always we appreciate your business and hope to see you at