The Yellowbird Foodshed

On why I don't "hide" or "unfriend" people that are in my social media feeds that post annoying things that I absolutely disagree with:

Because if I do that, am I not becoming the thing I hate? If I can't sit and listen to what the "other" person is saying, am I not succumbing to exactly the thing that we are all accusing one another of doing?

Feb 3

Feb 3 Box #5

We have a very rare opportunity that I want to tell you about…

Our team is always researching around the country for what other farmers are doing and how they are bringing their products to market.

In doing this last month, we connected with a small family farm in Florida that is growing organic citrus, strawberries, and yucca. They also have a small organic farm in NY and asked if we wanted to meet them on their way up there and buy some of their stuff from Florida for our Yellowbird members.

Jan 24

Jan 24 Friday Five (January 24)

Once every six months I hear something that is so powerful and important that it is the only thing that makes the Friday Five.

It's no coincidence that the only other times I have done this involve the same 2 people talking.

Rich Roll and Zach Bush have found a chemistry that I can't stop listening to. This was at a special event and there were so many things in this talk that I had to stop the video, rewind, and write down things over and over.

Jan 22

Jan 22 Box #4

The last time we had apple cider I said it was the last time...I lied, we actually had 1 more time scheduled.

I actually drink it more this time of year than any other time because I think I need the fruit more in the dead of winter or something…(that sounds like it could be true, so let’s go with that).

Also, please remember that you are eating your medicine each week...ESPECIALLY this time of year. Your immunities, your defense system, your sense of humor (that can’t be true) are all influenced by the food you are fueling yourselves with

Jan 17

Jan 17 Friday Five (January 17)

Almost all the ancient religious scriptural texts have references to becoming "like a child".

I'm in a house right now with children at the ages of 3, 7, 11, and 14.

I've now watched the "distance appear" (mentioned in the quote above) in 2 of the 4. It will happen shortly in the other 2 as it has happened to every human throughout history.

Jan 15

Jan 15 Box #3

I went to a “Meat Free Monday” dinner as a guest speaker and talked about the Yellowbird community to about 30 people. They were not all vegan or even vegetarian (nor am I), just folks that are trying to make positive lifestyle changes.

I called our winter group, the “Hard-Core Locavores”.

Jan 10

Jan 10 Friday Five (January 10)

My dad always told me, "Wisdom is learning from someone else's experience."

This is difficult for a few reasons.

We rarely learn from our own experiences, so how can we be expected to learn from someone else's?

Even when we learn from our own experience, it is difficult to make changes that lead us away from comfort...from knowing, into what might actually be harder for us, but also lead to healing.

Jan 9

Jan 9 Box #2

I just sat down after being at Newark High School all morning.

They have a home economics teacher (yes, they still exist), and she convinced her 2nd, 3rd, and 4th period classes to take the @1803eatingchallenge that we set up. The 1803 eating challenge is simply this…”if it ain't grown in Ohio, then we ain't eatin’ it.” For the month of January, every last ingredient that I’m eating will be grown in Ohio.

Jan 3

Jan 3 Friday Five (January 3)

Friday January 3rd, 2020!!

I didn't make it to midnight on New Year's Eve

My challenge for 2019 was to jump rope 500,000 times. I made it to 75,350 before I got a really bad case of poison ivy, my arches got tight, and I got off rhythm and didn't pick it back up again.

I yelled at my kids when I should have been patient.

I ate too much at lunch and it killed the rest of my day...and I knew I was doing it as it went down.

I judged people.

Jan 3

Jan 3 Box #1

Welcome to 2020.

Wow, what a statement. If I were watching a movie, and the screen said, “OHIO: 2020”, I would assume they meant that was some time in the future. Nope. It’s today.

And TODAY we find ourselves in the middle of the 1803 Eating Challenge.

Dec 20

Dec 20 Friday Five (December 20)

This time of year comes LOADED with lots of emotions, memories, and significance.

Stay in each moment.

If you are joyful, rejoice.

If you are mourning, mourn with fervor.

Remember that this year holds its own events and a chance to create or add to holiday traditions.

Give yourself the grace you deserve in this time, to be who you are, and in doing so freeing others to be who they are...together.

Dec 18

Dec 18 Box #31

Navy Beans Part Deux:

I’ve never made homemade refried beans. I’m not even sure what the “typical” refried bean is…kidney? It doesn’t matter, because what I did know on Saturday was that I had an entire bag of Shagbark Navy Beans.

I loosely followed the instructions on the back, and poured a bunch into some water. I let that sit overnight on the counter and then I drained them and poured 8 cups of water over the top of the beans in a dish that I put on the stove to bring to a boil.

Dec 13

Dec 13 Friday Five (December 13)

Each Thursday night, my wife takes a living sourdough "starter", and creates between 15-20 loaves of amazing dough. That dough sits around our kitchen overnight and then she gets up at 5:30am and begins to bake this wondrous bread.

Dec 11

Dec 11 Box #30

I don’t know where to start...do I start every newsletter with that line?...maybe just in my own head.

First, Navy Beans. Over the next couple of weeks every box size will get them. These are Ohio grown (of course), Organic (of course), from Shagbark. Coolest part? WE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT HAVE THEM! We bought them ALL, FOR YA’LL! That’s the kind of cool stuff that is happening for YB’ers now. Do you understand that you are changing the food system for growers, purveyors, AND eaters?

Dec 6

Dec 6 Friday Five (December 6)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

After taking a couple months off, I now have a backlogged catalog of things I want to show you.

I have a bit of a Santa Claus complex (finding fun surprises for people that I think they will enjoy), so this is a way to use up some of that energy. What I don't use here, we use each week when we go out and find the best food to bring to our Yellowbird customers.

Dec 4

Dec 4 Box #29

What a fun week it was...Thanksgiving this year, more than anytime before, was such a restful week with the family. I hope that you each had time to reflect, be thankful, and eat good food. If you had a stressful or mournful holiday because of various circumstances, then peace be with you this holiday season.

As we transition into our “WINTER” months, we get to do some unusual things with our boxes. We begin to include some products that might not make it during our other seasons.

Dec 2

Dec 2 Winter Texting Program

Info

If you'd like to opt into our texting program for box pick up reminders, simply text the code associated with your location to 95577. We recommend also setting a personal reminder as technology does occasionally go awry.

If you previously picked up elsewhere please text STOP to 95577 and then text your new code found below to 95577. You need to make sure you have texted your NEW locations correct code in order to get the reminder at the correct time.

Nov 29

Nov 29 Friday Five (November 29th)

Hot Diggity Dog it feels good to be back in the saddle.

Taking a couple months off has proven to be a great time to recharge the batteries, revamp the vision, and CONSUME MORE CONTENT. It has been hard to not just jump right back in and start writing again, but I wanted to let my proverbial "pot" get a nice rolling boil before adding the the Friday 5 back into my weekly rituals.

Nov 20

Nov 20 Box #28