Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op gives members access to nutritious produce and other small- batch products.

As you may have noticed, we’ve had a good number of new products lately, specifically in the produce department. This is due to the farmer’s new partnership with the Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op (LFFC), a non-profit cooperative of over 100 small farmers from Lancaster County, PA, many of them living the Amish culture. We are so thankful to have this resource to connect our members with even more food produced on highly maintained and nutrient-rich soil.

The farmer has always wanted to offer his members a wider selection of produce. But, the farmer and his wife have never been able to adequately maintain their own garden on top of all the other farm chores. The LFFC partnership allows the farmer to not only sell quality produce to members but also support fellow small-scale farms focused on sustainability and the humane treatment of animals.

Lancaster County soil is considered some of the best agricultural land in the country. You simply can’t produce food like this in other parts of the country – it is the most nutrient-dense possible. LFFC farmers take pride in maintaining the health and quality of their soil to preserve this reputation for future generations. LFFC choose to work cooperatively together to enhance the health of the communities around them as well as the health of the land that we live on.

LFFC provides fresh, naturally-grown fruit, vegetables, and other farm fresh products. Most of them are even certified organic. So far, the farmer is offering LFFC’s fresh apples, carrots, beets, onions, radishes, sweet potatoes, and Jerusalem artichokes. He is also offering its lemonade, iced teas, Good Mood cold pressed juice, kombucha infused with elderberries, and strawberry jam.

I love celebrating ingredients and usually prepare only a few at a time to let their inherent flavors sing. Last night, I braised some country ribs and accompanied them with some easy roasted root veggies from LFFC. Roasting veggies is super simple and takes maybe 10 minutes to prep. The basic idea is to bake veggies with a fat and a seasoning. I tossed largely chopped beets, carrots, and onions with lard, salt, and pepper. Then, I roasted the veggies covered for 60 minutes in a 350 F oven. I removed the cover and baked an additional 20-30 minutes to crisp the veggies up.