Summer is a great time to buy local produce from area farmers. You can find luscious berries, corn, beets, squash and tomatoes ripened on the vine at farmer’s markets, private stands and even some grocery stores. You may even find raw honey, farm fresh eggs and grass fed beef.
Sounds good, but why is this a wellness challenge?
When you buy it local the food is often fresher than produce trucked hundreds or thousands of miles. Fresh means more vitamins, better taste and more ‘life force’. Local produce is often organic although it may not be certified. Many farmers are happy to tell you if they used pesticides on their crops.
Since food raised in your area doesn’t have to travel long distances, natural resources are spared and the ‘carbon footprint’ is smaller. So overall local foods contain fewer toxic chemicals, may be healthier, and generate much less pollution on the way to your mouth.
Purchasing food from area farmers also boosts your local economy. In the North Country of New York where I live, there are many small farms. Their little farm stands bring in much needed funds to keep the farm going and meet their financial needs. Buying their foods is a big win for you and the farmer.
And of course, maybe even better, you can raise some of your own food. I very much enjoy stopping at farm stands, but this year I got the urge to ‘garden’ so I got two patio tomato plants and some potted herbs. (Just enough to keep the gardening bug at bay – but seriously, there is something very satisfying about growing your own food)
During the off-season, when local produce isn’t available, focus on purchasing these organic foods. These are the big offenders when it comes to
toxic chemicals: peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce, and potatoes. If they are not available, wash well and remove the skin if possible.
A local search may also show you where you can purchase eggs and grass-fed ‘clean’ meats. When you buy large quantities, you can get a very good value.
It isn’t crucial to purchase organic onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, frozen sweet peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papaya. They are the least contaminated of all fruits and vegetables (if at all). Most of the pineapple crop is organic anyway.
When you purchase organic and/or local food, you vote with your wallet and send a message to farmers, manufacturers and retails that you are a conscious consumer who wants healthy goods for you and your family. When you vote with your wallet, they listen.
Your Challenge
Visit your local farmer’s market or a farm stand at least once this summer. If one isn’t available, check out your grocery store and look for local or organic foods. Purchase at least two locally grown or organic products. If it’s already cooked (like bread or a pie) that’s okay too, but do get something fresh also. Regularly purchase some of these foods throughout the year, especially ‘the dirty dozen’.
If you accept this challenge, or already do this, please tell us about it in the comments below.
This is another great challenge, especially since it is summer and farmers markets are in full swing. In the past we were members of a local CSA an loved it. Loved it so much we decided to grow as much of our own food as possible. We grow fruits and veggies in our backyard and also have a small [12.5 x 50] community garden plot. Growing your own food is the most wonderful thing in the world. I commend anyone who has a garden of ANY size! For those pinched for cash you can save the seeds from heirloom and organic crops to grow the next year. You can also “recycle” your food; a carrot top placed in soil will grow delicious greens, the rooted bottom of a green onion will grow a tasty green, even the rooted bottom of a garlic bulb will grow in to more garlic. Or if you only have the clove, it will grow greens. These can be grown in a small window garden. Can you tell I love gardening?!!!!
A word of caution; not all farmers at the market have fresh local food. If a booth has things that are out of season, like bananas, is one I tend to avoid. Enjoy the fruits of summer!
Hi Kathy,
I never thought about eating carrot tops. Do you eat them raw or cook them? Val
Both! I particularly love them in sunflower pate to replace parsley. YUM!
Here is an idea for another wellness challenge; the elimination of indoor air fresheners, like free breeze, etc. Spray bottles of vinegar and water or hydrogen peroxide [without stabilizers] work really well to remove indoor odors.
Also, toxic laundry products. Fabric softener sheets contain pesticides, do we really need that on our bodies? Or in the air we breathe or worse on our food? Our food? Yes, when it is blown out through a dryer vent it sticks on our foods. It takes over 36 wash loads to remove fabric softener and sometimes not even that will work. Which means we really can not get it off our food.
K