Where do your fruits and veggies come from? It is amazing to me how today we are “fortunate” enough to have access to any type of food, no matter the time of year. We eat berries and cucumbers in the middle of winter; we can have oranges in the summer.
Now take a step back and think about:
- how much energy would be saved if that fruit or vegetable did not travel across the country to your plate.
- how much fresher and flavorful that strawberry would taste if it was grown a few miles away or better yet in your backyard.
- the actual fruit or vegetable was picked prior to you taking your first bite. Often farm fresh foods are gathered within 24 hours of being sold, unlike grocery stores where it could have been weeks ago.
- the amount of chemical-based pesticides sprayed on that fruit or veggie, where often small local farms use natural bug deterrents or none at all.
- how that cow or chicken was raised. Most small farms raise their animals in a humane way, thus no antibiotics or growth hormones are given.
- the fertilizer used to grow the fruit and veggies and the grass for the animals. Most often local farms use natural fertilizers compared to nitrogen fertilizers.
Not many people put too much though into where their food comes from. By choosing to eat locally sourced food, you know exactly where it comes from. Heck, you could go visit the actual farm if you wanted to, or you can plant your own garden and buy seeds from Firefly Farm Mercantile store
Meals which include fresh meat and poultry, milk products, eggs, breads, and grains, fruits and vegetables prepared using locally grown or produced ingredients use far less petroleum to transport. And the money spent on these products will stay in the community longer, which in turn will create jobs and help to preserve family farming.
Eating local is big step to living a greener lifestyle. Just taste the difference yourself.
Are ready to take that step? Or have you already?
So I invite to you to get to know your local famers by visiting a weekly farmers market. Let me know what you discover!
Source: 100 Mile Diet
Thanks great, Diana! Every bit helps. I love the taste of farm fresh produce….so yummy! I also found out the farmers market runs all year in Fort Worth…..so excited! 🙂
I bought extra strawberries and they are sitting in the freezer right now. I know it’s not easy trying to eat local foods living in Quebec (wink wink…Lufa farms is right down the highway).The more we eat local the better it tastes, the better it is for the environment and better for the wallet. Every bit helps and the environment says thank you, Amy for doing your best! 🙂
I’m fairly lucky. I have a strawberry/pumpkin patch farm right down the street from my house. I love how in the summer the Fruitere 440 is open and all the vendors have their out door stalls and you can buy fresh fruits and veggies.
It’s hard for us in Quebec to buy local when our winter isn’t the nicest for farming.
Thanks for the link on Lufa farms! We’re trying to eat more locally harvested products, and this is certainly a great option. Any other suggestions for Montreal? Thx!!
No problem, Julia! I am so glad you guys try to buy as locally as possible! Try Jean Talon market and Atwater market. I know there are others!I will get back to you by email! 🙂
Hey lady. We have our own garden in the backyard. This is our second year. We are getting bigger by the year. We have some of our own stuff but I am not sure if our stuff is local or not that Tracy buys. We dont have a farmers market too close to us. But I think the flea market is opening back up and they will have stuff im sure. Your stuff is blogtastic
Hey This daddy! Thanks for reading and the “blogtatsic” comment, much appreciated! Good stuff that you and T have your own garden. We don’t have one because we are not at home and there is nowhere to put one where we are living! I do have 3 pots of herbs though. We depend on the farmers market for most of our food. Happy July 4th week-end to you guys! 🙂