Zach is still hungry

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are more than 4,800 farmers markets operating throughout the nation. So what’s the appeal?

Why Should I Shop at a Farmers Market versus a Conventional Grocery Store?
The sustainably grown food offered at farmers markets is often going to taste better, retain more naturally-occurring nutrients and be fresher than the equivalent produce in grocery stores. Farmers markets provide you the opportunity to ask questions about the growing methods directly to the farmers. In addition to fruits and vegetables, many farmers markets also sell meats, flowers, plants, cheeses or wines, sold by the farmers that produce them.

Okay—That Sounds Good. Now How Do I Find a Farmers Market Near Me?
Check in the newspaper or at a health food store to find listings of farmers markets and local farms. There are also several options available online, such as localharvest.org or farmersmarket.com, that allow you to search by city, state or region. Depending on your location, there may be several options, so try them all out—you may discover you like the taste of one farmer’s carrots over another’s, or the selection and prices may vary by farm or market.

Will This Cost More? And What if I Can’t Find the Produce I’m Looking For?
Typically, shopping at farmers markets or family farms will save you money. When you purchase locally-grown food, the cost of shipping and packaging is taken out of the equation. And when it comes to getting the produce you’re looking for, farmers markets sell what’s in season—so you may not find granny smith apples if it’s not the peak season for apples. However, the trade-off for freshness is often worth it. And you can also supplement any missing ingredients with canned or frozen produce.

In choosing to shop at farmers markets, not only will you be supporting your local economy, but you’ll also be reducing the negative impacts of production, packaging, transport and shipping that is often part of the supply chain of getting produce to conventional grocery stores. Reducing your environmental impact in these ways is just an added bonus to the tasty, fresh produce you’ll discover at local farms and farmers markets!

Nathan Joynt works with Gaiam and Spiritual Cinema Circle – advocates for health and wellness through motivational movies and lifestyle media.

Summer. I love summer. I love love love love love love summer. Now that winter is finally over in Colorado, I find it more than compelling to have the season of summer speak with its very loud and perfect voice. Enough pensive adoration of the sun! ON TO THE BEER!

The Belgians, a relationship that I can only describe as mysterious. One minute you can sing their praises and the next be totally unimpressed with their offerings. Summer is the time for Wheat Beers to take their place and remind us that winters cold breath doesn’t need quenching with an IPA, the summer requires the delicate breath that only a Belgian Ale can give us. Ironically my last deep journey went to the Duvel and now I find myself absolutely enamored with the sweet-sour palette dance of Maredsous.

I really don’t know what to say about this particular brew outside of what you don’t know, WHICH IS EVERYTHING! MUAHAHAHHAHA!

Put that awful New Belgian swill down the drain and find yourself a liquor store that has the inventory prepared to enlighten you.

This pretty little ditty rings in at 10% ABV and is of the Tripel variety. Crafted by some of the most patient brewers I have ever known, the gentlemen at Duvel Moortgat have really done something with a belgian ale that I really didn’t know was possible. They infused mystery into the full bodied potpourri of the this delightful Tripel. It sings of summer fruits and fields warm and healthy with sunshine and overrun with the sugars of land never marred by industrialization or abused to bear more then they should.

The Beer Advocate had this to say about my dear Maredsous Tripel, the fools. Seriously can you even grade something so heavenly? Could you really be bright enough to fully appreciate something like this? I’m not, and therefore neither are they.

Oh wild flavors of some other land, oh sweet yeast and fruit of the field in a land that I don’t know. Your mouth is ready to be reborn into a new and full life, let the sweetest form of summer accompany you in this season.

Raise your glasses friends, Cheers.

Zach

Belgian beer is still a mystery. The sweet crispness of the Duvel is like sevral things I have had before and yet something entirely new. There is quite a bit going on as soon as the opaque golden liquid hits your palette. And the famously wild fragrances accompanied by fruit flavors suddenly transport you across the sea.

There are many sour notes that really punch up the flavor and leave your mouth with a clean feeling fresh and the lacing on the glass invites you to return to the cool treat time after time.

This special brew is not to be missed.

Zach

The hardest thing on the planet is to work on an empty stomach. Some of you, my loyal readership of 5 people, probably know that I develop websites for a living which presents me with some interesting situations that lead to long long hours. I realized that snacking is something I end up doing a lot of being that I need certain types of fuel to maintain consciousness while rushing a project through.

This is your brain, this is your brain on doritos and redbull.
So maintaining productivity levels can be a challenge from time to time. You start to nod off or get sluggish and you really need a pick me up to retain any sort of forward momentum. I am a big fan of salt and caffeine, both for basically the same reason, quick bursts of alertness and energy. I know that there are possibly healthier alternatives to this process of re-awakening yourself but i find it truly hard to get them in the readily accessible forms as cups o’ Joe or handfulls of pretzels (mmm pretzels).

The problem of course with this is that eventually caffeine will simply rot your stomach and you will feel like a zombie the next day looking for the flesh of the living to sustain you. Like anything that you do against the will of nature, there is a consequence that comes with punishing your body.

I don’t recommend you do this but…
If you really need to burn some midnight oil, I usually go for the energy drinks. As horrific as it sounds, ROCKSTAR energy drinks are responsible for more that one completed website and more than one research paper. Although its been about a year since the last time I tasted pure synthesized B complex vitamins, guarana, and ginko, the lasting impression that it left on me was negligible and I am not entirely against its general use for rushing through projects.

For food stuffs I have definitely changed my tastes from potato chips and crackers to jerky and raw nuts. The main reasons being that the essential oils found in walnuts and pecans are linked directly to brain activity and function. Having a quick protein booster with the vitamin and caffeine overload will give your body a sort of equal parts steroids and legitimate fuel to burn up with. Protein for me is essential as my hypo-glycemic body tends to jitter and whirl if I haven’t consumed enough of the desired energy source.

HOW DO YOU MAKE IT THROUGH THE NIGHT?

CHEERS, Zach – the late night snack beast.

(Which should be subtitled, 13 dishes in a row that no human should be able to finish or perhaps how to eat yourself to death, Japanese style.)

Anyone who has ever told you that the reason that Japanese people are so thin is that they eat less than westerners do is a complete and utter liar. Attention liars, and you know who you are, understand that I have sat behind you while you are on dates, in airplanes, at pompous American sushi restaurants and I really have heard it all. It needs to stop.
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