Seasonal Eating and Local Produce
How to support your community with the food you buy
How to support your community with the food you buy
Choosing your produce based on the time of year is a wonderful way to enjoy foods at their peak. It also benefits you and those around you for a number of reasons: it uplifts your community, allows you to consume the freshest varietals and have control over the practices used to grow the food you’re buying.
We recognize that this is indeed a privilege and want to highlight resources on accessing fresh food when in a food desert or if you’re unable to afford fresh produce.
"Everybody in history before the 1900s has eaten seasonally. It's more like going backwards to figure out what's right. As you cook, you start to think about food and where it comes from. What's important to me is keeping it seasonal and local; the more connected to the food I am, the more inspired I am." says Tim LaBant, chef and proprietor of The Schoolhouse at Cannondale, a restaurant in Wilton, Connecticut, where each menu is based on what's available that day.
Our favorite resources for finding out what’s in season are the Six Seasons cookbook by Joshua McFadden and this seasonal food guide. Otherwise, here are some things to consider when you’re at the grocery store.
The Benefits of Seasonal Shopping
Selecting seasonally available produce will always taste best as it’s the freshest and will be at its’ peak nutritious value when in-season.
Seasonal fruits and vegetables produced from local farms or farmers markets are often the most fresh since they do not require long distances for transport. When you shop locally, you’re also avoiding carbon emissions involved in shipping products.
Out-of-season produce is harvested early in order to be shipped and distributed won’t have optimal flavor, freshness or nutrient density. Studies have shown that fruits and vegetables contain more nutrients when allowed to ripen naturally on their parent plant. (1)
Shopping seasonally and locally supports farms and maintains farmland in your area: local food supports the local economy: money spent on products from local farmers and growers stays in the community and is reinvested with other local businesses.
When you buy directly from farmers, you have the opportunity to ask what practices they use to raise and harvest crops. When you know where your food comes from and who grew it, you know a lot more about what you’re fueling your body with and you’re able to better avoid pesticides.
Voting with our dollars is one of the most impactful ways to enact change: if we’re shopping at our local co-ops and regional grocery stores, this allows for our dollars to forgo the massive conglomerates and give back in our community. Co-ops are generally excellent resources for sustainable grocery shopping— if it’s time to re-up on hand soap or shampoo, try your co-op for locally and naturally made soap or shampoo bars for a more environmentally-friendly option.
We hope that this has been a helpful breakdown on the benefits of eating seasonally and shopping locally. Have a wonderful day!
Disclosure: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you decide to buy any of the products we refer to and promote. All opinions are our own.