On a chance encounter, I was e-introduced to Julie Covey, one of the owners of Double G Cattle Company, the company behind XY Ranch in 150 Mile House/Caribou region in British Columbia. This Ranch is doing everything right! I was so inspired and touched by their story and mission that I needed to share it with you. Take this for their mission statement: to naturally and humanely raise a true grass fed to grass finished cow using ZERO grains, antibiotics, or growth hormones. As consumers we need to step it up and support local farmers to send our message that animal husbandry standards and sustainability matter. Let your wallet do the talking - every purchase counts! Now sit back and relax and enjoy my interview with one of the G’s in Double G Cattle Company - Graham Covey.

proteinJessica PirnakJune 25, 2018Farm, Farmer, Sustainable, Grass fed, Grass finished, Farm to Table, Ranch

Turkey Transparency

Let’s talk turkey! Before making your purchase of a brightly packaged bird it is important to know where your food comes from and all the people involved in the process. A few months ago, I pulled on my rubber boats and trekked out to Island Bison Ranch to tell you the story behind their farm. Today I’ll introduce you to Rossdown Farms and Natural Foods in Abbotsford. Full disclosure - I thought I was heading to their turkey farm but it ended up being their processing plant, which opened my eyes to the production of poultry.

Holidays, organic food, Personal Journey, proteinJessica PirnakDecember 7, 2017cooking, Farm, protein, Sustainable, turkey

It's Time to Walk the Talk!

As a retail dietitian, I’ve situated myself in an optimal environment to learn exactly where our food comes from and to understand all the people involved in the process. As a consumer of food, which we all are, it is our responsibility to know this information, but starting down this inquisitive path can be overwhelming, especially when reaching out to local farmers and asking them some difficult questions. So, I will start us down this path! Meet farmer Marc from Island Bison Ranch.

Personal JourneyJessica PirnakOctober 1, 2017Farm, protein, iron, Local Farmer, Bison

Organically Speaking

Like any healthy relationship organic gets better the more you get to know it. As we wrap up celebrating organic week (from September 16th to the 24th) it feels like a good time to break down the difference between the term “organic” and “natural.”

organic foodJessica PirnakSeptember 24, 2017Farm, Sustainable, Claims, Local

My First Summer with Community Supported Agriculture

For those of you that have been following along this summer, this is the finale of an 8-week blogging series on my experience with my first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).

organic food, Personal Journey, fruits & vegetables, tipsJessica PirnakAugust 20, 2017Local, CSA, Farm

This Week's CSA - Week 7!

There’s nothing better than fresh, locally grown herbs! These tiny tender leaves can elevate any home cooked dish by adding lots of flavour without the added salt or fat. To highlight one of my favourite herbs and one that made its appearance in this week’s CSA box – let’s talk about basil. Basil is a rich source of calcium, potassium and iron. With 85% of your daily-recommended vitamin K intake in just one-tablespoon! Plus basil is a great antioxidant.

fat, fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal Journey, salt, vitamins and mineralsJessica PirnakAugust 11, 2017Local, CSA, Farm, Basil, Smoothie

This Week's CSA - Week 6!

August is officially here, which means you have a whole month of summer left to enjoy. With that being said, are you ready to change up your palate and get messy in the kitchen? If so, then this is your month! The abundance and variety of fresh, local fruits and vegetables is at its peak in August and I’m so excited to see what the CSA harvest box has in store for me!

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal Journey, salt, soyJessica PirnakAugust 3, 2017Local, CSA, Farm

This Week's CSA - Week 5!

Do I want to participate in Crisp Organics SPCA certified egg share program? Do the bees’ buzz? Does the sun shine? Yes – of course I do! In a nutshell SPCA certified farmers work hard to make sure their animals come first and Rehoboth Farm in Chilliwack, has partnered with Crisp Organics, to bring us happy eggs. Lucky for me, the sold out program opened up more egg shares this past week as the farm’s young hens finally came into maturity. Sign me up please!

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal JourneyJessica PirnakJuly 26, 2017Sustainable, Local, CSA, Farm

This Week's CSA - Week 4!

Lately, I've been bombarded by questions about fruit. What about the sugar in fruit? Am I eating too much? What's the best type of fruit to eat? We could spend a whole post talking about fruit but one way to manage your fruit intake and to guarantee you’re eating more vegetables than fruit is to join a CSA Harvest Box! Four weeks in and this household is definitely eating well – our meals are mostly homemade and full of fresh organic vegetables!

fruits & vegetables, organic food, Personal JourneyJessica PirnakJuly 19, 2017Sustainable, Local, CSA, Farm