Locally Grown

Top 10 Ways to Have a Local Thanksgiving

Give thanks for local farmers by choosing ingredients that are grown close to home. Here are 10 locally produced ingredients, along with some simple ways to include them in your holiday meal.

1. Eggs: GNFF alliance member Stanberry Community Farms raise chickens the way you would – with lots of attention, room to roam, eating grass and healthy grains. Eggs from these chickens should find a way into your pumpkin pie or egg nog.
2. Turkey and Ham: Get that holiday flavor with a GNFF heritage turkey from Frank Reese farm or a heritage bone-in ham pastured raised by Ozark Mountain pork co-op. These unique meats are an easy way to start a holiday tradition plus you'll also be helping local farm families preserve heritage breeds.
3. Sweet Potatoes: You may have to search out locally grown sweet potatoes from the Kansas Organic Producers, but they are worth the effort. More readily available are sweet potatoes from our southern farmers that are shipped to your neighborhood grocery market within days of harvest. Whether you top yours with marshmallows or take a more modest approach, sweet potatoes are in-season and a holiday must.
4. Local Honey: Hawley Honey Farm has been busy harvesting and bottling GNFF honey right from the local bee hive. Local Honey will add just the right sweetness to your favorite sweet potato dish, pumpkin or pecan pie.
5. Northern Missouri Pecans: No other pecans are as sweet as these native jewels. Toast whole pecans and sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes, add a handful to your stuffing, sprinkle them on a green salad, or bake them with a bit of brown sugar and spice for a pre-dinner snack.
6. Pumpkins: Of course you can get the stuff in a can...but locally grown pumpkins from Dan Kuhns Farms are fresh, grown without harmful chemicals, and can easily be cooked, pureed, and made into pie. Take some time this year to try a truly 'made from scratch' pumpkin pie.
7. Winter Squash and Missouri Apples: Cut an acorn squash in half, lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and bake cut-side down for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Chop 1 apple and combine with a small handful of Missouri pecans and 1 Tablespoon of honey. Stuff the cavities of the acorn squash with this sweet apple mixture and bake an additional 30 minutes. This is holiday comfort food at its best!
8. Sausage: My mother-in-law always makes oyster bread stuffing and cornbread stuffing with sausage. GNFF sausage is made fresh with all natural ingredients and handcrafted in small batches by the Ozark pork co-op master sausage maker.
9. Fresh Herbs: Make the kitchen aroma run wild with fresh herbs, locally grown by Crooked River Farms. When you chop up and sprinkle in fresh basil, sage, chives, oregano, tarragon, parsley into your favorite dish, you know you are adding a touch of healthiness and earthiness.
10. Farmhouse Cheese and Local Wine: A perfect end to a local holiday dinner is a GNFF award-winning farmhouse cheese made by Jason and Sherri Wiebe paired with your favorite local wine. Look for Holyfield or Somerset Ridge.