Local, organic, and sustainable are all key words for our health and the health of our planet, as well as our local economies. Researchers now estimate that poor food and nutrition are responsible for more than half of all health problems today. After decades of research, science is finally recognizing that a balanced diet of whole, natural foods is crucial, and that artificial, highly processed, (packaged) foods are the problem with diet today. It’s so bad, in fact, that a recent study concluded that poor diet and health has become a “national security” concern.
We need nutritious, natural, whole foods that are safe from artificial added ingredients. The biannual USDA national farm study found that older mid-size family farms (hundreds or thousands of acres) continue to be bought up and added to large, industrial scale agriculture, relying on artificial chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and artificial GMO foods.
But the good news is that small farms (40 acres or less) continued to grow from 4% to 10% of agricultural lands during the recent decade. These kinds of holdings represent the local, organic farmers and producers, who are also younger. The Montgomery County Agricultural Reserve has long been an example and a haven to include this kind of clean, sustainable farming for the future.
In 1980, Montgomery County made one of the most significant land-use decisions in county history by creating the Agricultural Reserve. Heralded as one of the best examples of land conservation policies in the country, the Agricultural Reserve encompasses 93,000 acres – almost a third of the county’s land resources – along the county’s northern, western, and eastern borders. The Agricultural Reserve and its accompanying planning and zoning elements were designed to protect local farmland and agriculture. This foresightedness stands in stark contrast to what can be observed directly across the Potomac River, in our neighboring state, at almost all points along the boundaries of the Preserve.
When Cozzi Family Farm went into business, we started with organic, cage-free eggs, laid by healthy hens. Our poultry are fed an organic, GMO-free, corn and soy free diet, along with whatever deliciousness they find while free ranging and foraging on clean land. In terms of sustainability and food security, eggs are nature’s perfect food. Outdated concerns about the effects of eggs for health are finally being replaced by nutritional science. Eggs are high in essential fatty acids (like the omega-3s we always hear about), vitamins, and protein.
Research shows eggs from chickens that are pasture-raised rather than confined to cages, have twice as much vitamin E, nearly twice as much vitamin A, and contain a whopping 2.5 times more omega-3s.
Another study found that free-range chickens produce eggs with three to four times more vitamin D compared to eggs from caged counterparts. Then there is the question of ethics and treatment of animals.
Including eggs in your balanced diet is a perfect way to boost your immune system, brain function, energy and muscle mass. Scientific studies show that the essential nutrients in eggs help protect you from diabetes, heart disease, macular degeneration (of the eyes), obesity and osteoporosis.