One of the easiest ways to help the environment and improve your health is to buy local food whenever possible. Eating what is in season is one of the best ways to eat, period. Seasonal, local foods are picked at the peak of ripeness, rather than being picked prematurely and 'gassed' to induce ripening during the commute to the grocery store. Eating local foods provides the maximum nutritional benefit, and benefits the local economy by sustaining farmers.
Where to Buy Local Produce
The best option is to shop at a Farmers Market or orchards. More and more markets are popping up across the country, making fresh local produce wonderfully accessible. In addition, many grocery stores are responding to the increased demand for local produce. Some will even place a special stand near the door boasting fresh local food. Also check the signs. Most will show the place of origin along with the price.
How to Find What is in Season Right Now
Several online resources exist to help determine what produce is grown in every state. By checking these sites and keeping an eye out for stores that stock local food, it should be easier to support the establishments that buy produce from short-range producers instead of buying imported fruits and vegetables.
What Happens to Imported Fruit
Fruits and vegetables that are imported from other countries must be picked before they’re ripe. If they were picked when they were ripe, most would rot by the time they reached the U.S. These fruits and vegetables are often gassed with ethylene in order to induce ripeness and to prolong shelf-life. In some cases, they are even genetically altered in order to not ripen until presented with this gas. Needless to say, fruits and vegetables that endure this process have a lack-luster taste and texture compared to their local, naturally ripe counterparts.
Still, a few benefits exist for producing fruits and vegetables with a longer shelf-life. This type of food can reach areas of the world that do not have sufficient farmland. For some, it may be the only way they are able to enjoy fresh food at all.
The Benefits of Buying Local food
The benefits of supporting locally grown farmers goes beyond reducing carbon emissions, though that is certainly a major plus. It helps to improve the local economy and sustain farmers in our own country. Food that is grown nearby can be picked at the peak of ripeness and as a result has a higher nutritional value. It does not need to be artificially ripened like the produce that is imported. Plus, food that is sold by the farmer means more money goes directly to the farmer and his or her family. If they are able to prosper, then more consumers will be able to prosper from their highly nutritious, naturally ripened food.
Resources:
How to Shop at a Farmers Market
Find what's in season right now: www.localharvest.org, www.sustainabletable.org
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