Check out the news and views on health, agriculture, food, pets, life, community, and more in our Reading Room. Select from a cornucopia of pertinent links and references representing books, research, articles and opinions on interesting topics.
Chatting Across the Fence about What's New
One very big goal at West Wind Farms has recently been accomplished. Ralph and Kimberlie are both full-time farmers now, no longer working 2 extra full-time jobs! Besides getting more than 4 hours sleep each night, the additional time we now have is being used to upgrade support systems necessary to operate the farm business more smoothly at our current level of activity. A couple of the many new changes you are sure to notice are:
New website shopping cart. If you haven't noticed this yet, then you're well overdue to place an order with us!! :-) The shopping cart accepts orders for (1) on-farm pickup, (2) any of our delivery locations including pre-orders for farmers markets if you so choose, and (3) last but not least, mail orders to be shipped anywhere in the continental U.S. The cart is in a sort of beta stage right now, so please give us plenty of feedback on how it's serving you.- New Customer Service phone number. It can be hard to reach the farmer by phone with a quick question or request. The farmer is always out on the farm it seems, and cell phone service is undependable in this rural location. Our new Customer Service Assistant, who is also our Bookkeeper, will be able to assist you now much more quickly than we could previously.
- Tracking Services. Shopping with a farm is not at all like shopping at Walmart. "Open" hours are generally shorter, and order pickups may depend on meeting us at a certain prearranged time and location. We're making it easier for you by offering you the opportunity to track us on Google Latitude on delivery days. You'll always know where we are en route to you. Contact us for details on how to track us using Google Latitude.
In the Media
- Local Nourishment blog - An absolute hero for local foods and nutrition. Good recipes with local foods, including West Wind Farms'. Beautiful and interesting blog.
-The Gypsy Gourmet blog - This food gypsy has a well-traveled farmers market and farm dossier, including West Wind Farms.
- Southern Organic Resource Guide - Here's a bit of history now 'bout these pioneers forging organics in TN. Hope we don't lose this link; it's dated, but the farm is still the same, well, better.
- Food Security Partners - A summary of a presentation on the environmental impacts of our food system, given at the Food Security Summit 2008. The Cole's transitioned to farming after 45 combined years as environmental professionals in the corporate and government sectors.
- The Food Paper New York - We were pleased to see us referenced, and with only three other farms.
- East TN Clean Fuels Coalition - West Wind Farms' delivery vehicle runs on clean-burning natural gas. The article on page 2 spotlights West Wind Farms' vehicle conversion.
Twitter
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REVIEWS 
OUT ON THE TOWN 
Dine on West Wind Farms' meat and poultry products in the following fine establishments:
Blackberry Farm - Blackberry Farm in Walland, TN, ranked Number Two for Hotel Dining in America and holds the status of Relais Gourmand, the highest mark of culinary excellence within the Relais & Chateaux Organization.
Felicia Suzanne's - Felicia Suzanne's in Memphis, TN, combines southern charm with fine southern cuisine using the freshest ingredients from local farms. Felicia is at the Memphis Farmers Market every week, collecting the ingredients for her recipes.
Marche Artisan Foods - Marche Artisan Foods is considered by many to be the best lunch spot in Nashville, TN. Run also by Margo from Margot Cafe & Bar, she serves up wonderful country French cuisine for lunch here, using fresh and local ingredients.
Favorite Quotations
These are a few of our favorite quotations:
“The purpose of agriculture is not the production of food, but the perfection of human beings." - Masanobu Fukuoka, One Straw Revolution
“No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity in tilling a field as in writing a poem.” – Booker T. Washington
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” – James Beard
“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.” – Adelle Davis
“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” – Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste, 1825
“You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” – Julia Child
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” – Aristotle, Politics
“Nature does nothing uselessly.” – Aristotle, Politics
“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.” – E.B. White
“The goal of life is living in agreement with nature.” – Zeno, Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers
“Manifest plainness,
Embrace simplicity,
Reduce selfishness,
Have few desires.”
- Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
LINKS
Pull interesting topics from the Reading Room shelf, sit back and enjoy a few minutes of good reading.