This past Saturday I was honored to participate in the Acme Family Day at the Stockman and Dakota Coral as a celebrity griller. That is not a typo – I am now officially a celebrity. And if that doesn’t move you, I will go even further to say that I won the grilling showdown and my charity, The Food Trust, received a $5000 donation as a result. continue reading »

Hello, my name is Ben and I like food.

For those of you who know me, this admission shouldn’t come as much of a shock. I have been described as husky, broad and most impressively, portly. At home I am talking about tomorrow night’s dinner while I’m eating tonight’s dinner.

I used to think of my eating as almost a badge of honor. I still do, but now I don’t wear the badge. I use the pointy part on the back to prick my finger at least once a day to check my blood sugar. Type 2 Diabetes is a bummer, I have to say.

There will be no more Lee’s Hoagies for me. Whenever I walk past a Philadelphia Pretzel Factory, I can smell the carbolicious bounty inside, but I cannot stop and partake. I haven’t had anything at Dunkin’ Donuts besides coffee in more than a year and a half. I could go on (believe me, I could) but I’m sure the point has been made.

I have a wife and a young son so I want to be here for a while. Drastic changes needed to be made to my diet. continue reading »

John Esch wiped his brow and took a hard swig of his water bottle. He has just traveled more than three hours, from the outskirts of Gettysburg, arriving at 900 E. Howell St. – the site of the Oxford Circle Farmers Market.

Esch, along with two other vendors, braved the near 100-degree heat last Thursday to bring farm fresh fruits and vegetables and baked goods to the people of the great Northeast. continue reading »