Understanding How Food Gets From The Field To The Family Table.

Getting food to the table of your family can sometimes be a bit of a process. In today's society, there is more concern as to where food comes from. Consumers want to be able to understand these processes better so that they can have some reassurance that their food is safe and delicious all the time. Here are some of the steps that are required to get food to your family.

Crops and harvesting

Crops such as corn, rice, wheat, fruits, and vegetables must be cared for year-round. Weather and other natural occurrences can have a big effect on overall production. A large crop failure can lead to higher prices at the grocery store. Some crops are produced in greenhouses, so there is a good supply year-round. Harvesting times can impact the quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables that you can purchase. For example, a tomato or peach picked too young and transported a thousand miles is likely not going to taste like a ripe local tomato or peach.

Meat and milk

Many farms are much larger now than they once were. Hundreds or even thousands of cattle may be raised on a single farm. Management practices can vary a lot, from feed lots where cattle are fattened to those raised on just grazing. A large-scale approach to agricultural production often concentrates large numbers of animals into a small space. Sometimes these farms are called Concentrated Animal Feed Operations. Dairy cows are sometimes treated the same way.

Processing

Processing foods is required to ensure that they are safe and shelf stable if appropriate. A food grade mixer is one machine that can be used to heat, cool, and blend food products. They help ensure that product quality, taste, flavor, etc., is duplicated so that customers get the great tastes they love. Another type of industrial mixer might be utilized so that the right amount of preservatives are added to ensure the safety of the food that eventually finds its way to your home. Products are then packaged in a variety of materials.

Grocery store

For many of us, the first time we see our food is in the grocery aisle. This is where you finally get to enjoy what took a lot of work and resources to get to your table. Some grocery stores will have their own butcher departments where meats are cut up into portions depending upon the needs of the customer.

Bringing the family to the table

There is one more step to bringing delicious foods to your table, and that is cooking! There are so many recipes out there that you will be amazed by how much can be done with just some basic ingredients. There is an art to cooking, but it is something that almost anyone can master given the time and determination to cook great foods. One of the most important end products of food production is the relationships that are built around the family dinner table.

Until next time,

Jada x