The Charltons went on a trip! I (Liz) found out recently that I have second cousins that live in Wisconsin that run an organic farm and have begun to work with their Amish neighbors to distribute their goods. Craig and I decided that the very slow week of July 4 was the perfect time for both of us to get away. Visiting Keewaydin Farm was a great experience and a memory stimulus for me, as I haven't been there since I was 8! Eating, drinking and laughing with Rufus, Star and Mary and wandering the fields of veggies reinforced the idea both Craig and I hold that getting the food locally, making sure the growers are stewards of the land and knowing how, when and where it is grown is all so important. I think it makes it taste better! If you want, you can visit their website www.keewaydinfarms.com/ They primarily do work in Minneapolis and that area, as they are closer to Minneapolis than Chicago. We are hoping with some work, we will be able to coordinate a weekly delivery of goodies. We shall see if it all comes to fruition, but I sure hope so! The following are a few pictures of our adventure.

One other place we visited that was innovative was the Cedar Grove Cheese Factory. There they have a greenhouse that reclaims their water for them. They use plants to filter the water they use in the factory and can then discharge it into the stream without using chemicals, without wasting the precious resource, water! I was so enamored with the water reclaimation "living machine" that I forgot to take pictures...but you can visit their website at www.cedargrovecheese.com/ and see the pictures they have under the environmental area.

for questions or more information, please feel free to contact us:

craig & liz charlton

trattoria 225
225 harrison street
oak park, il 60304
708-358-8555
craig@trattoria225.com or liz@trattoria225.com