The Importance of Sustainably Sourced Organic Food for Dogs and People

1. The Importance of Sustainably Sourced Organic Food for Dogs and People When you hear “sustainable,” what are the first thoughts that come to mind? Perhaps local, seasonal, organic, or permaculture? We invite you on a journey into our practices of what sustainability standards we hold when choosing our sourced materials, for people and dogs alike. Why Local? Buying local meat and produce from your region has many benefits for your personal health, the local economy, and the planet. Lets begin with how food local to your region can benefit your body. The region you reside has a unique climate zone. These zones dictate what grows ease-fully with the weather patterns and natural pollination. Specific pollens, insects, and flowers thrive in a given grow climate. They also contribute to what sort of allergies, pollens, and plant life can thrive in the climate. Eating plants, herbs, and meat that comes from your local region allows your body to intake nutrients that it’s already familiar with. The benefit of eating food and herbs that our bodies are familiar with, is it strengthens the immunity and builds antibodies specific to your environment. Supporting Local Economy Small family farms are becoming harder and harder to maintain. As a society we’ve been fooled to believe that industrial farming feeds more people, therefore this is where our resources tend to be allocated. This concept is the opposite of sustainability. One major factor is it feeds into the cycle that keeps us reliant on foreign market resources. This tends to create large ‘specialized crops’ being the key focus of a given area. For instance, California produces 80% of the world’s supply of almonds. Almonds take 10% of the entire water supply yearly! Water is a precious resource for everything to grow and allocating such a large percentage of water supply (and depleting ground water yearly,) for one crop is a bit extreme. 2440 Donna Maria Way Santa Rosa, CA 95401 info@cbdawgs.org

2. Local Farms A few ways you can support your local farmer economy are: Go to your local farmers market and buy what is in season. This may seem like a simple one, but it’s truly beneficial to keeping small farms thriving and your local economy abundant. Sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture.) This is a way that family farms band together to create a monthly subscription box that can be picked up at a local provider they partner with (or even sometimes delivered!) Sign up for a ‘meat share’ or get meat from your local butcher. This one can’t be stressed enough as the industrial meat industry is one of the largest flaws of modern time for many reasons. Plant a small garden! This is excellent for keeping the soil rich, and the earth and other living beings thriving. Eat what’s in season and local to your region. Good For The Planet Have you ever paused to think about how far your food on your plate may have traveled to reach you? Whether by truck or by plane, extra resources are being used to bring food that is not local into the region. Buying food from the store is part of our modern day evolution, and we understand that certain staples do not grow locally (even in California!) But the less we are reliant on out sourced materials, the less gas emissions in the air due to its travel. Growing food enriches the soil. Having healthy, nitrogen rich soil is key for our local plant and animal friends. By supporting your local farmers, you are supporting the earth literally beneath your feet! 2440 Donna Maria Way Santa Rosa, CA 95401 info@cbdawgs.org

3. Local Resources Why Sustainably Farmed Food For Dogs The missing link on how all of this information is relevant to CBDawgs and our mission, is of course, dogs. Do you know where a large percentage of commercial dog food meats come from? Food that is not suitable for humans– toxic, spoiled, and sometimes even roadkill. Industrially farmed, poorly treated animals are feeding our pets. This is not acceptable to us, and this is why sourcing our meat locally is so important! We are dedicated to supporting farming practices for both produce and meats that are supportive of the planet. We believe in putting the best, organic, love infused food into our bodies, and hold the same standards for our animals. 2440 Donna Maria Way Santa Rosa, CA 95401 info@cbdawgs.org