8 Farm Fresh Foods You Should Consider Serving at Your Table

You, like most people, are proud of your cooking. Your meals provide your family with nourishment, which is important, but the most important part of meals is the way they taste. The presentation is a close second. Because of this, you should consider farm-fresh foods. These foods are of much higher quality than store-bought foods. Here are eight farm-fresh foods that will elevate the meals you serve at your table.

Eggs

According to The Mobile Chicken House, mobile-pastured eggs are a healthy, quality-driven, sustainable alternative to standard commercial eggs. These eggs come from hens who have a certain level of freedom on the farm. They are allowed outside for a significant amount of time during the day and they can eat a more "natural" diet instead of just corn and soy. This freedom makes the hens healthier which, in turn, makes the eggs healthier. Mobile-pastured eggs can have up to three times the Omega-3 than standard commercial eggs. You get an added advantage by getting your eggs fresh from the farm. The shells are thicker leading to thicker yolks. They taste better and have great nutritional value.

Milk

Milk has a quick expiration date compared to other foods from a farm. It is great to be able to milk a cow and bring it straight to the table (not exactly straight to the table, but you get the picture). If you are not the milking type, your local farmer's market will have fresh milk. Whether you choose raw milk or pasteurized milk, you will still get the best-tasting milk possible by getting it directly from a farmer. Many people prefer raw milk (unpasteurized milk) because it has the full amount of nutrients.

However, there is some controversy surrounding this type of milk. According to Food Safety News, raw milk can have bacteria such as E. Coli or Listeria. The odds are low of contracting these diseases from raw milk, but the risk is still there. Farmers pasteurize milk, so you can still get safe milk fresh from the farm. However, pasteurization removes bacteria, so it is safer than raw milk.

Fruits

Fresh fruit is always a welcomed food at any table. Imagine picking your fruit each day so it is the ripest, sweetest fruit you can possibly get. There are plenty of farms that will allow you to pick your own fruit. You could also get fruit from the farmer's market. If you happen to live on a farm, that is even better. After the fruit is picked, it rapidly begins to lose nutritional value. Fruit that is to be sold at a local store takes from one to six weeks to make it there. That is why they do not last very long once you take them home. You do not have this problem with fresh fruit straight from the farm.

Vegetables

Vegetables are like fruit in the sense that they begin to lose nutritional value as soon as they are plucked from the vine. Just like fruit, it can take weeks for vegetables to travel from the farm to the store. By the time you buy them, they only have a short amount of time to be eaten before they are no longer any good. Farm fresh vegetables are not only healthier than store-bought vegetables, but they taste better. They are so flavorful that they can easily become the star of your dinner. For the freshest vegetables, you should pick them yourself if you have a local farm that allows it. If not, you will find plenty at your local farmer's market.

Farmer Cheese

Farmer cheese is just what it sounds like - cheese processed by the farmer instead of by some giant processing plant. According to Berkeley Wellness, farmer cheese has less calories and higher nutritional value without all the additives and preservatives. Plus, farmer cheese has a unique taste that you will not find from machine-manufactured cheese. Good cheese seems to make everything taste better. For great dishes such as oven-baked mac n' cheese, cheddar ‘n' chives mashed potatoes, bacon & cheese dip, and so many more, it makes sense to have the freshest cheese you can get. You could even make your own cheese with easy online recipes if you do not live near a farmer's market.

Ham

Ham is one of the tastiest meat you can eat. While it is true that most ham tastes good whether you got it from a farmer or a store, it is just so much fresher when you get it from a farmer. One advantage of getting it straight from a farmer is that, since each farmer has their own, unique way to cure ham, you will get a unique flavor than those processed, vacuum-sealed ham packages at the store. They even look healthier as the ham can have a richer color. Plus, you do not have to worry about it being injected full of preservatives.

Steak

Most people love a good steak, and you cannot get better steak than those that come directly from a farmer. These steaks are fresher, cooks better, tastes better, and lasts longer if you need them to. According to Grit, you will probably also get more bang for your buck when buying from a farmer which is great for those pricey premium cuts of steak.

Chicken

Chickens are one of the most popular farm-to-table animals. They are relatively easy to raise, so if you live in a country area, it is not uncommon to find average residents who raise chickens at their house. If you are going to eat farm-fresh eggs, you will probably be interested in farm-fresh chicken also. Just like the other meats, the chicken will be freshers, tastier, and much more nutritious than the chicken you would buy at the store. Plus, there are so many great chicken recipes out there that would be great with farm fresh chicken.

Farm fresh foods are tasty, nutritious, and probably a lot cheaper than buying store-bought foods. The eight foods above are some of the more popular farm-fresh foods, but there are others that can complete your shopping list. This will give you the best ingredients to make the best meals to serve at your table. If you have access to farms or farmers markets, do not be afraid to try out a few of your favorites!

Read this next: Real Milk’s Role in a Sustainable Farm-to-Table Diet