Seasonal and Local is Best

For the last several Sundays in our neighborhood a table has been set up in front of a neighbor’s home, offering dozens of varieties of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers for free! I love that as the weather changes so does the fresh produce that is available. Each season offers a variety of beautiful fresh produce and this is a great time to start experimenting and trying new recipes or reworking those old ones to incorporate more seasonal fruits and vegetables. Here are the many benefits to eating seasonally and locally.

 Seasonal Produce:

• Tastes Better
  In-season produce is fresher and tastes better, sweeter and perfectly ripe. When fruits and vegetables are picked for consumption that have been naturally ripened on the vine or the tree and harvested at the right time, it will have much more flavor and nutrition. Most people have experienced that super juicy perfectly sweet orange in winter or that crispy sweet pineapple in summer. When transporting crops, it must be harvested early and refrigerated so they don’t spoil during transportation; chilling will reduce the flavor. Then when they get to their destination they then may need to be heated in a hot house to artificially ripen the produce before it goes onto the shelves, this greatly reduces the flavor, changes the texture and the taste.Think of those floury apples, flavorless tomatoes and limp tasteless greens.
• Cheaper
  When farmers are harvesting a large abundance of produce due to the crop being in season, the cost of the produce will go down. When the produce is locally sourced because it’s in season in your area, then travelling expenses and storage are not required therefore reducing the production costs that are then passed onto the consumer.When we buy produce that is out of season, it’s normally sourced from out of area locations that have a different climate and it can also be stored for long periods of time to offer people a variety of produce all year round, these factors will push the price up. When produce is in season, cheaper and often on sale it’s a great time to buy in bulk for yourself and preserve, pickle, ferment, freeze and store your own food at home.
• Fresher with a Higher Nutritional Value
  Produce that is purchased in season is more likely to be fresher, consumed closer to harvesting and higher in nutritional value, some anti-oxidants such as Vitamin C, folate and carotenes will rapidly decline when stored for periods of time. Locally in-season sourced fruits and vegetables will also appear brighter and more vibrant rather than limp and dried up.Fruits and vegetables that are stored for long periods of time due to transportation or to be used at a later date have a reduction in phyto-nutrient content. Large markets and grocers may buy out-of -season produce that has been gassed, irradiated (a burst of radiation to kill germs) and preserved in wax to extend the shelf life.
• Avoids Overseas Contaminates
  When fruits and vegetables are sourced overseas you can’t be sure what their regulations for pesticides, herbicides and fungicides are. Many countries across the globe have very relaxed laws about chemicals being sprayed on fruits and vegetables that other countries have banned due to their known harmful effects.Overseas agriculture may not regulate soil contamination tests to ensure land and soil quality. Some agricultural areas have been shown to have very high heavy metal and other toxic contaminates due to industrial sites inhabiting the same area.Health practices in some countries may leave a lot to be desired. Australia recently had a large contamination of Hepatitis A from frozen berries that have come from China. Due to poor hygiene practices overseas this has then infected many Australians.Produce such as garlic is irradiated, bleached and sprayed with methyl bromide to withstand quarantine and long periods of travel as many fruits and vegetables are that make the long haul trip in ships.
• Supports Your Body’s Natural Nutritional Needs
  In winter we are provided by nature all things citrus, these are particularly high in Vitamin C which is very important for preventing infections such as colds and flu’s. Winter vegetables also offer comfort and are perfect for hot meals, healthy stews, soups, casseroles and other warming meals. Summer foods such as stone fruits provide us with extra beta-carotenes and other carotenoids that help protect us against sun damage, they also provide more sweetness for an energetic summer, as well as salad vegetables for those tasty cool summer salads.
• More Environmentally-Friendly
  Eating seasonally reduces the demand for out of season produce which further supports more local produce and supports local farming in your area which means less transportation, less refrigeration, less hot houses, and less irradiation of produce.

So what is the weekly challenge? To make a good effort to buy local seasonal produce this week. Attend a farmer’s market if possible or better yet see if there is anything local that is available for you to pick and go picking. If not look for fresh produce stands in your area. Use this link to check what foods are seasonal and incorporate at least 3 local or seasonal foods in your menus this week. 

https://sustainableagriculture.net/blog/national-guide-to-finding-local-food/