The Food in Your Own Backyard

Nov 23, 2011

100 Noreen Thomas of Moorhead has seen the results and believes in eating locally. Thomas and her husband own and run an organic farm. They switched to organic farming practices in 1997 because of her health issues.

Thomas had been getting horrible migraines, but eating and growing organic changed her for the better.

"The food bill has gone up," she says, "but I am not on migraine medication, have better skin and take less sick days."

Thomas, who has hosted many Concordia classes on her farm, was one of the vendors for Concordia's 100-Mile Thanksgiving Farmers Market. The third annual event was designed to connect members of the community with organic vegetables, fruits, honey and turkey produced within 100 miles of the Fargo-Moorhead area.

Dr. Gretchen Harvey, assistant professor of history and faculty adviser for Concordia's organic garden, headed the event. The organic garden is used for educational purposes and to grow produce to be shared with the community.

The two interns for the garden helped orchestrate the details for the 100-Mile Thanksgiving.

One of the interns, Jennifer (Thissen) Battcher '12, Glencoe, Minn., ran a flour-grinding table. Children could grind their own wheat to make pancake mix. She enjoyed seeing people connect with the food they are eating – one of the benefits of eating locally.

"It [eating locally] supports the local economy," she says. "It also promotes community because eating locally usually connects you to other members of the community and the farmers who produce your food."
 

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