Support Your Local Farmers!

I've had a great day so far today.  Most of that is thanks to the satisfaction I am getting from supporting my local community, and by "local community" I really mean "local economy", and by "local economy" I mean spending a nice chunk of change at The Elverson Farmers' Market.  Now, you must understand I live in rural SouthEastern Pennsylvania.  The Farmers' Market concept is not a new thing here.  Many people across the country are just now getting on the "buy local" bandwagon, but for me and many of my neighbors, this has always been our way of life.  I can remember back to childhood stopping at various farmers' roadside stands for freshly picked produce.   As a kid, I didn't really care if it was pesticide free and organic.  I just knew that strawberries picked fresh off the plant tasted WAAAAAYYY better than the shriveled pathetic ones that came from God Knows Where at the grocery store.

 I also spent most of my childhood hanging out on my grandparents' farm.  I never had any preconceived ideas of where my meat came from.  I knew it didn't just drop from the sky into the meat section of the store.  We raised the animals we ate.  Everyone took part in the butchering process, even the kids.  (yeah, I know some of you are thinking ewwww gross, but if you eat meat, that's the reality, someone's gotta do it).  Again, we didn't care that the cows we ate lived lives wandering happily through fields chomping on grass, hormone and antibiotic free.  We just knew that those steaks were the juiciest most flavorful things on earth. 

But now, I no longer have my grandparents' farm to satisfy my cravings for a big slab o' cow.  Change that to a big slab o' hormone and antibiotic free cow.  Because now that I'm not a kid, I do care about those things.  As someone who has worked in the medical field for over 20 years, and also as someone who is a breast cancer survivor, I am convinced that the pesticides, the hormones, and the antibiotics we pump into our foods are related to so many illnesses such as cancer and antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. And the kid in me still relishes the freshness and the flavor of not only locally raised meat, but produce as well.

So that is why I love our local farmers' market.  Now this time of year in Pennsylvania it's not full with the ripe treasures we see in the summer (I am so jealous of my California friends who have fresh, local produce year round!), but it does have hormone and antibiotic free beef and cage free chicken eggs from Lone Star Farms, artisan raw milk cheeses and spreads from Conebella Farms, fresh apple cider and raw honey from Weaver's Orchard, homemade jams and (my favorite!) Argentine Chimichurri from Old Mill Gourmet, and fresh roasted coffee from Twin Valley Coffee. 

I realize a lot of you reading this do not live close enough to enjoy this particular farmers' market.  If you do, check them out!  The website link is above and they also have a newsletter and a facebook page.  If not, make it a point to find out where you can get fresh, local products.  And those of you who know me know I'm all about bargains and cheap--well, you might be surprised to know that without having to pay to transport your food from hundreds and hundreds of miles away (don't even get me started on how much gas this takes and how much pollution is created!), the cost of local products is often less than similar products from the grocery store!  Bonus!  The other, and perhaps most satisfying, perk of buying local products is that you support your community, keeping the local economy strong and helping family farmers stay in business.

But if you ask me, it just plain tastes better!

Freebies Annonymous meetings anyone?

OK, I'll admit it.  My name is Doreen and I am a Freebie and Bargain-aholic.  I can tell myself that I'm only going to pop on the internet briefly to check my email, but I'm really just deluding myself.  An hour later I'm still surfing the freebie and bargain sites, the emails long forgotten.  I rarely buy anything without looking online for a coupon or coupon code.  Total time suck, but totally worth it when I score an awesome deal (and don't even get me started on Black Friday...or Black Week or whatever they're calling it now that it starts on Thanksgiving night and extends well into the following week!).  Sometimes I feel like a need an intervention.  Like someone needs to just kid-nap me and drag me to Best Buy kicking and screaming and force me to pay full price on something right off their shelf--no hours of comparisons (searching via swagbucks, of course) no hunting down codes, no rebate forms--ugh, my hands are starting to shake just thinking about it. 

One of my all time favorite freebie sites is BZZAgent.  It's not technically a freebie site, rather a word-of-mouth advertising site that sends out free full-sized products in exchange for your "BZZ".  If you like the product, you spread the word and report back on the site about it.  As a bonus, each report you submit back earns points on MyPoints (another one of my favorites!), which you can cash in for gift cards and other cool things (see how addicting all this freebie/bargain stuff can be???)  In the few years that I've been a member, I've received things ranging from a Sonicare electric toothbrush to Lindt Lindor truffles to Green Mountain K-cups--all full sized products (or free coupons for the full-sized product).

My current BZZAgent "mission" is Dunkin' Donuts Iced Coffee (South Eastern PA friends, visit Dunkin' Philly's facebook site and like them!).  They really didn't have to twist my arm for this one.  I'm already a fan.  Love me my Dunkin' Coffee--hot, cold, whatever--bring it on!  Drinking iced coffee in the winter, though, is something I rarely do.  And I suppose that's the whole idea behind this offering--to pick up winter sales of a product that is normally thought of as being a summer drink.  Brilliant!  Again, I'm a sucker for free, so if I have free iced coffee coupons in the winter, well, you better believe they're going to be used!  And I have to admit, the concept works.  While hot coffee warms me on cold winter days, the iced coffee was just the pick-me-up I needed one afternoon when I was really dragging.  Plus, Dunkin' will also throw in a shot of a multitude of flavors (unfortunately Godiva Chocolate Liquor was not on their menu, BUT there was a mocha option which was quite tasty!).

So now I find myself considering Dunkin' Iced Coffee in the winter.  With my free coupons.  On my way to my Freebies Annonymous meeting.  Anyone care to join me?  (is that kinda like an alcoholic stopping off at the bar for a quick beer on the way to AA?)  Nevermind, I'm not ready to quit yet.  If you know of any great freebie/bargain/point/rebate/coupon sites, feel free to share below!!!!!!!!!!