Simple Steps to a Greener Lifestyle – Buy Local

Thanks Your Green Helper!

Spring has arrived! One of my favorite things about spring is the opening of my local Farmer’s Market. This year, I would encourage you to incorporate more local foods into your family’s daily meals. Buying local has multiple benefits. The food is fresher than anything in the supermarket which means it tastes better and is more nutritious. According to SustainableTable.org, a typical carrot has to travel 1,838 miles to reach your dinner table. Buying local is also good for your local economy by helping support family farmers in your area. Shopping locally enables farmers to keep 80 to 90 cents of each dollar spent by the consumer.

My family loves our weekly trips to the Farmer’s Market. We find fresh produce, baked goods, plants and much more. My kids love the “Muffin Lady” and her absolutely delicious all-natural muffins and cinnamon rolls. The honey stand is also a hit with their real bee hive on display. My favorite is the asparagus farmer with the best asparagus I have ever tasted. Over the years, we have gotten to know the farmers and it has become a social event.   You can visitLocalHarvest.org to find a Farmer’s Market in your area.  Also, here are somegreat tips for shopping at Farmer’s Market.

Another great way to buy local foods is to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or “share-holders” of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season.  A share is usually for produce. However, I have joined a CSA program for meat and eggs in the past as well. As a shareholder, you will receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. You can visit LocalHarvest.org to find a CSA program in your area.