"Are We Having Colin for Dinner?"

You may have seen this clip from Portlandia and laughed at the need to know the name of the chicken you are about to eat but with the health risks and environmental concerns of processed food, this might serve as a new guideline. Once exclusive to the "foodies", words like; "organic, "grass-fed", "natural, and "hormone-free" have been overwhelming the aisles at your local market. These days, the average consumer fears the hidden content of their beloved snacks and Sunday night dinner. The task of understanding what these terms (and many other buzzwords), can turn a starving man running to the streets in search of a McDonald’s.

Don’t fall the clutches of that happy meal just yet! There is a website called Real Time Farms, a user generated site that allows you to track where your food came from and (better yet) find resources for fresh local food.

You can follow your food back to its source! Although, I will not make any guarantee you will be on a first name basis with your Chicken Marsala.  In Portland, alone, Real Time Farms has found over 130 Portland area farms and 120 food artisans, 30 farmers markets, and shot and uploaded over 1500 photos. Getting involved with your local food resources has never been so easy.