For Christine Faith, nothing comforts like apples. She turns them into applesauce; it’s easy to do with a crockpot.

Local food advocate and urban agriculture educator Christine Faith was between classes at the Galileo School of Math and Science when she agreed to answer some questions about her favorite fall foods, what’s happening with several important community food initiatives and what she hopes to see from the newly seated Food Advisory Council in Colorado Springs.

ON THE FIRST DISH SHE MADE FOR FALL: Split pea soup! I was so looking forward to it. I always add carrots and sweet onions to mine. It’s also very important to use a marrow-filled ham bone.

ON WHY SHE LOVES APPLES: Fresh pressed apple cider is one of my favorites of all time. I like apple pie. And I usually make applesauce. If I’m planning to can it, I cook it down in a big sauce-pan, but if we’re eating it right away I just do it in the crockpot. I add honey, a little butter, some cloves and a cinnamon stick, and then some fresh lemon juice or verjuice. Verjuice is made by pressing green grapes; it’s a vinegar substitute for when you need something acidic. It goes back to medieval times, but it’s also local to this region.

ON HER APPROACH TO FOOD: I eat paleo. I eat as many greens as I can, and smaller amounts of meat, and lots of fruits and vegetables. Everybody’s different. That’s what works for me.

ON WHAT RANCH FOODS DIRECT BRINGS TO THE LOCAL FOOD SCENE: They’ve brought a lot of momentum to the local food movement. When they lean in, things move. If they determine something’s a priority, it happens. That’s refreshing.

ON THE ANNUAL POOPAPALOOZA MANURE DISTRIBUTION EVENT: I think it’s a fantastic way to take what is essentially a waste stream and bring it into our community in a way that benefits urban agriculture and also helps to support the needs of the community as a whole.

ON WHY THE PUBLIC MARKET PROJECT IS IMPORTANT: I think it’s a way to bring our local food community together to have more collaborative retail power. When you are a small producer like I am, you’re a tiny, tiny piece of the market, but when we have many small producers in one place we’re not so insignificant anymore. It’s about critical mass.

ON THE NEW FOOD ADVISORY COUNCIL: It has good diverse representation. I think because of the expertise and the genuine passion of the folks involved, they can wrestle with an issue and come up with workarounds or new ideas or bring something to the community that isn’t here yet. They can pave the way and make recommendations to best support those on the ground who are working daily on critical food-related issues.

Christine Faith is a local food advocate, avid home gardener, certified science teacher and author of the award winning Right to Thrive blog. At Galileo School, she oversees the farmers market and the junior master gardeners program. She was on the steering committee that helped to establish the local Food Advisory Council.

NOW AT RANCH FOODS DIRECT: Colorado grown heritage apples (those are honey crisp apples from Austin Farms, above) pie pumpkins, fresh pueblo chilies and lots of other wonderful fall produce! Remember, pork goes great with apples. Check out the “Pig Pool” option at Ranch Foods Direct.