The Produce Riddle Part 2: Do Something About It
by TreeHugger on 03. 9.05
Yesterday, we looked at the potential problems with organic produce shipped in from far flung locales. Often, the energy usage to get the goods to your door turns food that was once low impact into veggies that might as well have been grown locally. So what's a poor treehugger to do? Well fear not friends. We've got you covered...
In order to keep from falling prey to the imported food menace, there are a few different options for you. Remember, you want to avoid excessive environmental stress. Organic is good. Locally grown may be better. Organic and local is the bees knees. Now, go get em:
Buy seasonal: As tempting as it is to have fresh roma tomatoes in February, the truth of it is, they're just not meant to be. Food has traditionally been seasonal: Apples, squash, cabbage, canned and root vegetables in the fall and winter, and fresh tomatoes, peas, lettuce, and other green veggies and fruit in the spring and summer. That's not to say that you can't indulge yourself from time to time, but when you buy those strawberries ripened in a refrigerated shipping container as they made the trip from Columbia, remember that they don't have nearly the vitamins, antioxidants, or tastiness that their summer cousins have.
Buy local: Check with your grocers or local farmer's market to see which of their stock is grown closest to you, and which is freshest. Unfortunately, even farmers markets can be stocked with stuff from hundreds of miles away if it's a highly desirable item. Check out these options for locating farmers markets in the US and abroad:
The USDA's Listing of Markets is a good place to start
Localharvest, a site with a great zoomable, searchable map of local markets
London Farmers Markets is a good resource for those living there
Or try a Google search for markets in your locale
Ask Around: People who know about markets usually know about freshness. Ask your foodie friends where they got the ripest, the freshest, the localest produce in your area, and you probably won't be disappointed.
:: The Produce Riddle Part 1: Organic VS Local [by DM]
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Green Eyes On: President Obama, How About Organic Farming?
- From Community Supported Agriculture to a Community Supported Kitchen
- Jargon Watch: Ecotarian
- Emeril Green Episode: Sharing in the Harvest
Some roadside markets in the US may not be what they seem. That is, they have little or no produce that's actually locally sourced. And local is defined how? By taking a personal interest, I got a roadside stand manager to explain to me how they bought from some of the same markets that grocers do for many of the items on display. Dressing like farmers, offering lots of beautiful tomatoes at eye level, and having pretty flowers hanging under the tent, they get to charge a premium. THe SUV's just keep pulling in. You got to think critically and ask tough questions.
I would also suggest gardening, sprouting and preserving organic foods. You can preserve seasonal fruits and vegetables by canning, freezing or dehydrating.
Collecting wild edibles is another option. Even in a large city like Toronto I can find semi-wild urban edibles in parks, lanes and overhanging sidewalks. Saskatoon berries, mulberries, cherries, apples, pears, dandelions, stinging nettle, and mint are a few of the many possibilities.
For a detailed list of local organic markets and other services in the Toronto Area see: http://www.veg.ca/directory/organics.html [or click on my name below].
In San Diego we've got the Be Wise Ranch (http://www.bewiseranch.com/) which you can pay for a few months of produce and pickup a box once a week from a dozen or so spots in the county. All seasonal organic foods. Our local Co-op market buys mostly organic from local farmers too.
I was just looking on Local Harvest, did a farmers market search for Los Angeles - the results were NOT satisfactory.
If you are in California a much better site to find REAL farmers markets (actual farmers selling their own locally grown goods), go here instead:
CA Federation of Certified Farmers Markets
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/
And, for fun, a list compiled by the Southland Farmers Mkt Association, called "What's in Season When" (for CA only):
http://www.cafarmersmarkets.org/consumer/inseason.shtml
I never know when a veg. or fruit is "in season." Is there a handy-dandy guide online anywhere? I am sure I am not the only one who is a little clueless about this...
don't forget CSAs: Community Supported Agriculture for the harvest season in your area. Available in most communities, these are partnerships with local farms (most of whom have been certified organic for many years) where you pay a fee ahead of the season in exchange for a weekly "share" of their harvest. Mine in Brooklyn runs June-December, but there are meat, dairy and winter storage veggie CSAs in some places for year-round shares. This is a really good deal for farmers because they have a guaranteed income in advance of planting/harvesting, so less food goes to waste, with less potential income loss.
for your local CSA check http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/csastate.htm
p.s. The American Museum of Natural history has a download-able "wallet card" for what foods are in season when.
http://research.amnh.org/biodiversity/center/features/season.pdf (link downloads pdf)
Remember that there are many good canned/frozen foods that are harvested and processed closer to ripeness than the "fresh" food in your grocery store!