Good Food....Fest!

by Dale Johnson, Owner

Got a chance to attend the Family Farmed Good Food Festival in Chicago this past week and came away with a new realization of all the benefits of local food. In addition to tasting the many offerings at the event, I had a chance to attend several workshops focusing on locally produced food.

One of the most widely recognized promoters of local food in the Chicagoland area is Chef Rick Bayless. His restaurants feature food purchased mostly within a 250-mile radius of Chicago. He credits the wild popularity of his restaurants not only with his ever-changing menu, but how great local food tastes. This local food is picked and delivered fresh to his restaurants for him to prepare. We love supporting his restaurants, and not just because he uses Century Sun Oil!

During his opening presentation at the Good Food Festival, he talked about something as important as cooking with (and eating) delicious, healthy, nourishing food ingredients -- a healthy local economy! Rick has lived in Mexico and other parts of the world and according to him, the most economically vibrant areas are those that use local foods, prepared with the ethnic flare of that region!! Not only for tourists to enjoy, but the local people in those regions are noticeably healthier & happier!! 

Locally produced food does indeed create local jobs -- not just in the food sector, but in many areas of manufacturing and other service industries. Healthy food grown locally by healthy people working on healthy, living soils sounds utopic, but shouldn’t that be a goal of all of us producing food? Everyone talks about food scarcity and starvation around the world, but the truth is the world is producing TWICE what the population can eat right now! And with millions of acres still being idle from farming, you have to ask: Why is this happening?

Truth is local food can’t be manipulated or purposely kept away from people for political reasons! Big Ag wants you to believe that bigger farms producing more and more corn, soybeans and one variety of wheat is what the world needs! Nothing could be further from the truth.

Here at Century Sun Oil, we believe that knowing where your food (especially your cooking oil) comes from not only is healthier, but creates good, local jobs, & supports local smaller farms which keeps money local also! If it matters to you -- we want to be a part of your local food purchasing plans!
 

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