A Look Back at 2017

It’s that time again. The break in the calendar that prompts a natural desire to look at the past year and make plans for the next.

We do the same at Five Feline Farm. 2017 was a great year for us. If you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, in person at the 18th Street Farmer’s Market or even here on the blog, you know we expanded our business in several ways during the past year.

Perhaps our biggest achievement was opening our on-farm store—the Farm Fresh Mercantile. Finishing the store was a huge task. We reclaimed as much material as possible and did almost all of the labor ourselves. The grand opening was in October and we are now open the first Saturday of each month. Keep an eye on our social media for any last minute specials or announcements.

We expanded our presence at the 18th Street Farmer’s Market with a double size booth last summer. This extra space allowed us to enhance our displays into a more customer friendly presentation plus we added a grower. Martha B. produced additional vegetables, most notably potatoes. Her fingerling and specialty potato varieties were a huge hit.

A highlight for us was the inagural publication of Five Feline Farm Press. Simply Delicious is a compilation of recipes and stories that debuted on October 24. This book answers the many questions posed to us about what we cook and eat on a regular basis.

We also found ourselves in demand as speakers. In 2017, we presented at two events: Spring Into Gardening and Web@ through EIU. In addition we hosted a farm tour for Lincoln Log Cabin and the Academy of Lifelong Learning. Each of these events showcased a different section of our farm; from honeybees to nearly organic gardening practice.

How do we top all of that? What is coming in 2018?

As you might expect from us by now we are dreaming big. We will be expanding and refining the garden plots again, adding some special features to the landscape to add to our destination experience and continue to improve our product offering. We can’t really tell you too much right now, but keep following our news feed on all the social media channels.

5 Ways to Eat Healthier

Are you looking for simple steps you can do to make your life better, healthier and more productive?

So are we.

We are on a mission to improve our health by improving our diet. It is hard to make sweeping changes. Slowly the deprivation eats away at our willpower and before we know it, old habits have taken over.

The answer is to use simple, straightforward action items that can be implemented easily. Below are five suggestions you can do today:

1. Read food labels. 

This will help you understand what you are putting into your system. Really give yourself a minute to think about the building blocks your body needs. Your body is a machine. Water, protein, minerals, and trace elements will help it run most efficiently; not long chemical sounding ingredients.

2. Cook at home. 

The best way to take control of your diet is to cook at home. You will know every ingredient included. Plus, it’s a lot cheaper to make your favorite foods at home.

3. Eat an apple every day. 

Remember the old adage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? Did you ever wonder about the meaning behind it? Apples and other fruits have a lot of natural nutrients, fiber and vitamins. Mix it up with pears, bananas, oranges, grapes, berries; pick your favorite, there are plenty of options to keep you from getting bored. Just serving of fruit a day will build a habit of including natural whole foods in your diet.

4. Eliminate sweet drinks

This may be difficult at first, especially if you have a hardcore habit. It also includes no artificial sweeteners. If you make a conscious effort, you will find over the period of a week or so it gets easier. Sweet drinks add empty calories to your diet with no nutrients in return. 

5. Limit meat. 

Start with one or two meals a week without meat. Beans, eggs and nuts are good sources of protein. Meats are harder to digest and can leave you sluggish without realizing why. To compensate for less meat, add more complex carbohydrates and vegetables to your meal.

We have been implementing these steps. Some times life happens and we miss the mark, but each day is an opportunity to choose wisely.

Challenge yourself and your family to implement one of these steps each week over the next five weeks. At the end of the challenge, check in with yourself about how you feel. Do you feel better physically and mentally?

What other action items will you implement? Let us know your plans in the comments. 

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest updates on all things Five Feline Farm. If you are in the Charleston, IL area, stop by our Farm Fresh Mercantile Grand Opening this Saturday, October 7 from 12:00PM to 4:00PM.