[1]
Have you noticed? We, as a culture, have lost sight of seasonal, local food [2]. When we head to the supermarket we are fortunate to have apples available year round, strawberries ready to eat in the middle of winter and tomatoes ripe at all times. The food sometimes comes to us from far off lands and somehow maintains its crispness and ripeness. It’s a luxury to have these foods available at all times, but there are plenty of reasons to reach first for locally grown foods.
Why eat locally grown foods?
- Eating local foods fights global warming. The average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles [3] to get there. Buying locally-produced food eliminates the need for all that fuel-guzzling transportation.
- Local food looks and tastes better. The crops are picked at their peak, and we eat them when they are in season.
- They’re better for you. The food gets to your table in a short amount of time allowing the food to remain fresh and retain its nutrients.
- Eating locally grown food helps the local economy. Farmers who sell directly to the local customer receive the full retain dollar on their products since they don’t have to invest much in transportation, processing, packaging, refrigeration and marketing.
- Local food creates a connection between eater and grower. We, as a culture, have lost sight of where our food comes from. When you buy direct from a farmer you’re recreating a connection between the land and the food you eat.
- Local food is safe. You know who you are buying from and they take their responsibility to the consumer seriously.
Wondering how to find local, seasonal foods? There’s an app (or two) for that!
NRDC Eat Local App
NRDC Eat Local is a free iPhone app (sorry, Android) which offers an array of information on local foods. Want to know which produce is in season in your state this month? Wonder where the closest farmers’ markets are? The app provides info on more than 60 produce items, along with nutritional info, cooking suggestions, storage ideas and other interesting facts. The app lists more than 5,200 farmers markets and there are more than 100 links to recipes. The app also provides nutritional details and tips on storage, preparation and cooking. The app is very easy to use-just click on a button to see what’s in season near you. Enter your zip code to find a local farmer’s market. My one complaint: I’m always curious if the produce at a farmer’s market is local and organic. I didn’t see anything on this app for finding organic, local food. Overall, this app is a keeper.
The app is free and available for Apple users at iTunes [4].
Locavore
I’m a Locavore fan and written about this app before [5]. If you’re looking for the closest farmers market selling your favorite in season produce Locavore is the app for you. Locavore is a great app for those looking for local, in season, organic foods in your area. The app has one-click access to thousands of healthy, seasonal recipes and other information that can be shared with your friends and family. I like how the app not only lets you know which fruits and veggies are in season-it also lets you know how long it will be in season. This year I refuse to miss blueberry season again. I guess I’ll have to visit the farmer’s markets to find out if their produce is organic.
This app is free and available for android and iPhone users. Get it HERE.
How do you find local, seasonal foods?