Sustainability is a big topic, so we’re breaking it down into bite-sized pieces over multiple newsletters. Expect ideas, recipes, and practical tips that you can apply in your own life today!
Sustainability Starts in the Kitchen
Sustainability is personal. For real change to take root, it has to work for you—your budget, your time, and your energy. On our farm, we’ve spent over a decade embracing a “make-your-own” ethos, and along the way, we’ve discovered small but impactful changes that make a difference. We’re excited to share those with you!
How We Cook... Not Often Enough, But Mostly in Cast Iron!
What we cook with and how we clean it matters. Sustainable, renewable resources are at the heart of our choices, but like many of you, we’re busy, and sometimes frozen meals are the easiest option.
One of my personal goals this year is to cut down on packaged foods and cook more from scratch. To make this manageable, I’m trying one new recipe per month—which means by the end of the year, I’ll have doubled my usual meal rotation! Since the average family cycles through only 8-12 recipes regularly, that’s a big shift.
Why Cast Iron?
More people are embracing cast iron, and for good reason! Not only do non-stick coatings have alarming health concerns, but cast iron is affordable, durable, and actually improves with age. Plus, instead of leaching harmful chemicals into your food, it adds iron—a crucial nutrient, especially in plant-based diets.
For example, cooking tomato sauce (an acidic food) in cast iron increases its iron content from 0.6 mg to 5.8 mg per serving—that’s over 70% of the recommended daily iron intake for most adults outside of childbearing years!
Cast iron is also versatile and built to last:
- A small 6” pan (perfect for single meals) costs around $15.
- It transitions seamlessly from stovetop to oven to campfire.
- It has true heritage potential—passed down for generations.
The one challenge? It can’t go in the dishwasher.
Caring for Cast Iron - It’s Easier Than You Think!
We don’t have a dishwasher in our old farm kitchen, so this was never an issue for us—but we hear you! The key to cast iron care is gentle but effective cleaning:
Clean while warm- from the stove to the sink , but don't let it soak in water - it's not necessary and will cause the pan to rust.
- Use the right soap and a soft brush.
- Wipe it down with a piece of wool soaked in oil, stored in a jar for easy use.
After struggling with commercial dish soaps that were too harsh or not effective enough, we decided to make our own! Our farm-made Cast Iron Care Soap cleans thoroughly while treating both your pans and your hands with care. It’s been a revelation for us, and now we’re excited to offer it at the farmers market, complete with a matching brush. Come check it out!