Home grown celery
Fresh fruit and vegetables are fundamental to a healthy diet and we are lucky to have such a stable and various supply available all year round. And nothing would seem as innocent as purchasing a nice fresh apple for the produce section of our supermarket.
But that one small apple is far removed from its humble begins, it has been picked, processed, packaged, stored and trucked or shipped across land or sea to reach its final destination.
Our modern world loves to provide us with packaged convenience and perfection and the fruit and vegetables available from our supermarket are no exception.
And yet many of us are making the switch to local produce as a means to have a more sustainable and positive impact.
When we eat, buy and act locally we can contribute in many positive ways to our community and the health of the planet. Changing the way we shop can be daunting especially when we have come to expect a certain availability, price and convenience. Yet the advantages of buying “local” far outweigh the initial disruption to our usual shopping routine.
“Local” produce is a rather flexible term and can be used to describe any produce grown in our own backyard, our own community and further still the region or even country where we live. By buying local we reduce the amount of packaging, processing and transportation used to provide fresh produce. This in turn reduces energy and resource consumption and the associated waste and pollution.
Most of our supermarket produce is picked before ripening, stored and transported across country. Local produce on the other hand is often produced on smaller farms; meaning they can harvest frequently when the produce is ready; providing a tasty and more nutritious product. And because the produce is grown locally you often are able to purchase it within days of picking, meaning the product retains much of its beautiful taste and nutrition.
Local farmers markets provide a great opportunity to purchase local fruit and vegetables.
Although buying local is not a guarantee of organic produce; when we buy direct from the farmer we get a better understanding of where our produce comes from, how it was farmed and are able to ask questions. Supporting our local community and rural areas by buying locally grown produce is a great way to contribute to our local economy and the welfare and sustainability of communities large and small.
If you do not have access to a farmer or community market try to buy fruit and vegetables that are grown close to where you live; if not your local region then within the country. If purchasing produce from overseas look for fair-trade certification to insure the farmers received a fair price and that the produce was farmed in a way that supports their local community and environment.
In saying all this by far the best way to “go local” is to grown our own! Fruit and vegetable gardening is fun, rewarding, economical and a great way to reconnect with nature. All of us should be able to grow even a small amount of fresh produce, from potted herbs to fruit trees, depending on where and how we live. If you are limited with space consider joining a community garden, many cities and towns offer wonderful community spaces where you can grow your own produce alongside other like minded people.
Buying local is healthy and nutritious, environmentally conscience and supports the sustainability and welfare of local communities.
As a quick guide to going local consider the following:
- Where was the produce grown?
- Try to visit local farmers and community markets
- Can’t find or don’t have time to visit a community market?
- Reduce Packaging
- Grown your own!
Local produce is considered anything grown from your own back-yard, the immediate community, surrounding area, region, state or country.
Most communities whether large or small, rural or urban, will have some form of community market. Often selling more than produce, visiting your local market can be a wonderful experience full of fantastic opportunities to buy locally crafted and grown products and produce. Putting money back into your local community is a very positive and sustaining action.
In your supermarket look for produce grown close to where you live, if your supermarket doesn’t provide information on where their produce comes from make sure to ask. If buying produce from overseas try and look for fair trade certification.
When buying from supermarkets and markets look for fruit and vegetables that are not packaged in plastic wrap and containers. Consider using reusable cotton bags to transport your produce home instead of unrecyclable plastic bags. These are available online are washable and a fantastic investment.
Gardening is fun, easy and economical!! As mentioned above this is a fantastic way to ensure the fruit and vegetables you eat are the freshest and lowest impact produce around! If you are not already a gardener finding the time and know-how may at first seem daunting but the advantages are far-reaching!!
Although we may not be able to source all our fruit and vegetables from local producers; working to ensure we consider the impacts of our choices can help to reduce our reliance on over packaged, processed and long range transported produce.
There are significant benefits to buying local that outweigh the convenience of supermarket shopping. For me a trip to the local community market or an afternoon in my garden is a much more welcome experience than an hour or so spent in a busy, crowded supermarket.
If you haven’t already; consider making the switch to the healthier, yummier, more sustainable and community minded option of going local and see what the change can do for you.
Related posts:
- Balance and consequence : Clean up with simpler and safer cleaning products
- Balance and Consequence : Choosing beauty products that meet our own healthy, ethical and environmental standard
- Balance and Consequence : Our Modern Consumer Lifestyle
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"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do." ~Hellen Keller
