Organic, Natural or . . . ?

Everyone has heard that organic food is better, safer. . . and more expensive. Unfortunately, (in my opinion), it has also become a big business, and the bigger it gets, the further it is from the original meaning. One reason it costs more is because it is difficult and expensive for a producer to get the original certification, and then there is a substantial yearly fee to maintain it. This puts it out of reach of the average small family farmer.

Another term that has become popular is "Naturally Grown". This designation is rapidly accumulating the same baggage as "Organic" - legislation defining who can use it, ongoing costs, etc. Just as with the "Organic" label, when large agribusinesses adopt these terms, they also find loopholes to allow them to very narrowly apply the labels. For example, it is legal to describe eggs as "free range" if there is one small door that opens to the outside of the building, even if no chicken knows it is there or uses it.


The picture at the left shows what it really means for chickens to be "free range". They have total freedom to run around, eat grass, catch bugs and just live as nature meant them to live.

What I am interested in is how the food was raised. I don't care about labels, I just don't want any added chemicals or antibiotics, and I want the animals raised humanely, not in crates or feedlots. Cows, goats, sheep and pigs should have access to pasture and chickens need to be able to scratch, eat bugs and grass, and move around freely. I like meat and eat it regularly, but hate the thought that the animal that provided it lived a miserable life. What I want is to meet the farmer and even visit the farm. One term for this concept is "Transparent". Most farmers will welcome your visit, but remember that they are busy people. Always contact them and set up a time when it is convenient for you to come.

Have you ever hugged a goat?

The food from happy, healthy animals, be it milk, eggs or meat, is far superior in both taste and nutrition. Check out http://www.eatwild.com/ and click on "Benefits for your health" on the left hand side. That same website has lots of other interesting information, also.

The first and easiest step in becoming a "localvore" is to look for locally grown and produced items at your supermarket or restaurant. If you don't see anything marked "locally produced", ask the manager to carry it and mark it clearly.

We are fortunate here in Charleston in that there is a very active movement advocating that we all try to buy at least 10% of our purchases at locally owned stores. Go to http://www.lowcountrylocalfirst.com/ to learn more about it, and to find the local businesses.

Don't forget to enter the contest for free tickets to visit the Yorktown! See "contest rules" on the sidebar to see what you need to do.

Snow in Charleston SC

What!! Snow in Charleston SC, this is something you hardly ever hear of. I think the last really good snow fall that stuck was right after Hurricane Hugo in 1989! This beautiful white blanket swept over the Charleston area Friday, Feb. 12th around 7pm and snowed till the wee hours of the night. The snow left faster than it came but for a few hours it was an awesome experience for me and my family. We had snowball fights and the kids made a snow man with Grandma. Leave a comment and let us know of of your experience with the snow. That also enters you in our contest to win tickets to visit the Yorktown. (See previous post for more information.)

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Come Aboard the USS Yorktown!

As we head into our third featured attraction we have already discovered that Charleston has a lot of hidden jewels. This month's featured attraction is for all you history buffs. This is the well known USS Yorktown docked at Patriots Point in Mt. Pleasant.

If you’re like me, you have driven past this a million times without stopping, but this may motivate you to visit. This attraction called for the whole family to test it out to see if it was blog worthy for all our faithful readers. So, with my husband and two little boys in hand we set off to see what the big deal was. The day did not start off as planned it was rainy and cold but the boys had been talking about seeing the big ship and airplanes all day! Come rain or shine, this experience turned out to be a fun filled adventure.
The ship is huge and has all sorts of different tours you can take. Be prepared to spend at least two to three hours. Don't worry, though, there is a food stand in there in case you need fuel. There is a Congressional Medal of Honors where you can go and listen to different stories of the people who went above and beyond for our country, you can stand before actual WWII fighter & bomber aircraft, take a ride on a flight simulator, go down below deck and explore the ship and feel like one of the crew members, and much more.

Out of it all, though, Gabriel & Devin’s favorite was the “stage” - yes, you heard right. See picture below:

The end result was an awesome experience and I was able to have a peaceful car ride home!

Facts about the USS Yorktown:
The USS Yorktown (CV-10) was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy. Under construction as Bon Homme Richard, this new Essex-class carrier was renamed "Yorktown" in honor of Yorktown (CV-5), sunk at the epic Battle of Midway (June 1942). Built in an amazing 16 ½ months at Newport News, Virginia, Yorktown was commissioned on April 15, 1943. Yorktown participated significantly in the Pacific Offensive that began in late 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. Yorktown received the Presidential Unit Citation and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II. Much of the Academy Award-winning (1944)documentary "The Fighting Lady" was filmed aboard. In the 1950’s, Yorktown was modified with the addition of an angled deck to better operate jet aircraft in her role as an attack carrier (CVA). In 1958, Yorktown was designated an anti-submarine aircraft carrier (CVS), and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968). The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December 1968). Yorktown was decommissioned in 1970 and placed in reserve. In 1975, Yorktown was towed from Bayonne, NJ to Charleston to become the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum. Another fun fact is you can actually camp out on the Yorktown! Come experience the patriotism, honor and character of Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum.

Thanks for Exploring Charleston with Hobson Group Realty. Remember, all you have to do is just leave a comment and you are automatically entered to win two tickets to explore the USS Yorktown for yourself.

Don’t forget - YOU will need to check back March 1st to claim your prize. You will have 15 days to claim your prize at info@hobsongrouprealty.com We don't have your contact information, so it will be up to you to contact us to let us know who you are.