We are so fortunate here in upstate NY to live in an agricultural area and have access to local produce all year long! I do a summer and winter CSA (community supported agriculture), but there’s usually a 5-7 week lag between the two where I have to buy produce from the grocery store. It’s so different! Locally grown produce is so much healthier for you. Why?
- Fresher and tastier: Typically your local produce has been picked when ripe and only a few days before you buy it at the farm or market. Grocery store produce is picked unripe and travels many miles before it gets to your grocery store.
- Supports your local farmer: Buying locally grown supports the farmers in your community. This helps your local economy.
- Eating seasonal: Locally grown means that your produce availability is dependent on the season. Eating what is in season tastes the best and helps keep the soil healthy. Seasonal produce is high in nutrients. For example; broccoli grown in Fall (peak season) has more vitamin C than broccoli grown in spring.
- Less environmental impact: Because local means your farm comes from your area, you have little to no travel emissions, less energy used, and preserve green space.
- Safer food: The less steps between the farmer and your table, the less risk for contamination. I personally know the two farmers who I buy my CSA from – this makes a big difference in food quality and safety because I can talk to them and they tell me their growing practices.
Eating vegetables that are just “products” grown by large commercial farms for mass production are just products. They’re not as nutritious or flavorful as locally grown produce. More than half the fruit in the US and one third of the produce in the grocery stores is imported. This means, we are supporting another country and eating “not so healthy” vegetables. This sounds like an oxymoron to me because we typically eat vegetables to be healthy. If we’re not eating local produce then we’re not eating as healthy as we could be.
This spring, local farms are growing produce! You can order online from a local farm and/or check out a local farmer’s market. You can also consult your local agricultural organization to find out the latest and greatest about farms in your area. It’s always a great time to stay healthy, but now more than ever we need to put healthy, nutrient dense food into our body.