December abounds with cultural and religious holidays. There’s Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Rohatsu, and the winter solstice, to name a few. It’s a time for family gatherings, celebrations, reflection – and sharing delicious meals with those we hold dear.
Grassland 2.0 is about transforming our food and farming system to a healthy agroecosystem for the environment, for farmers, communities, and consumers. As consumers, we all have the power to vote with our grocery dollars. As we plan our holiday meals, let’s think about how we can use our purchasing power to help make change.
No matter how you celebrate the season, there are some great ways to incorporate delicious grass-fed and perennial treats! Here are just a few –
- If you are serving a ham, turkey, or brisket around the holidays, feature meat from pasture-raised animals. There are a lot of great options for buying grass-fed. If you are in Madison, try a local butcher such as The Conscious Carnivore or The Meat People. If you are near Green Bay check out the Oneida Nation Farms. Wisconsin Meadows also sells grass-fed beef and pork across the state. Most food coops source their meat from local, pasture-based farms.
- Making Christmas or Hanukkah cookies or other sweet treats? Use grass-fed butter in lieu of conventional. While options vary, most grocery stores offer some form of grass-fed butter.
- Celebrating the winter solstice or winter moon with stories, reflection, and thanks? Try some delicious Wisconsin grass-fed cheese as you gather around the fire. Some excellent ones to try are Uplands Cheese, Organic Valley’s Grassmilk Cheddar, Saxon Creamery or McKlusky Brothers.
- Making jollof rice or groundnut stew for Kwanzaa? Try incorporating pasture-raised chicken to the dish! Check out the Farm Fresh Atlas for a listing of some of the places near you that offer grass-fed chicken near you.
- Baking up a fancy concoction? Try incorporating Kernza flour! The flavor is unique, and it brings a real fudgy feel to baked items that will leave everyone in awe. Kernza flour is available at many grocery stores and also available online at Perennial Pantry.
- And if all else fails, you can always look to use some grass-fed ground beef in your festivus meatloaf!
No matter how you choose to celebrate, we hope you are able to spend time with loved ones and take some time to rest and reflect.
Happy holidays from all of us in the Grassland 2.0 family!