2.40
It's fresh produce season, and time to enjoy all the great veggies and fruits available from your local farms. A power pantry lifestyle has a whole-foods, plant-based diet at its core, and filling your pantry and fridge with fresh produce is the right step in that direction.
A friend emailed me about a CSA his cousin operates. CSA stands for 'community supported agriculture', and it is a great and growing model of connecting citizen consumers with local farmers and produce growers. I did a post on farmer's markets and CSA's last year to shine some light on this tremendous resource for fresh foods. If you haven't engaged in stopping at a roadside stand, farmer's market or CSA for fresh produce, this is the time to do it.
How is the spread of fresh-to-cooked foods at your dining room table? Many integrative / holistic nutritionists agree that over half of our diet should be raw fruits and veggies. That is the best resource for phytonutrients and valuable antioxidants our bodies need to fight sickness and build healthy bones and tissues. Fresh foods are the path to those nutrients, and a farmer's market or CSA will help you along that path.
So revel in the pending summer weather and the rainbow of fruits and veggies available from local farms. We're just at the beginning of growing and harvesting season - get out there and enjoy it!
By the Way
Yesterday was the 'full strawberry moon', identified as such by early Algonquin Indian tribes because June features abundant strawberries. The strawberry season is really short, though, with only about 3 weeks of opportunity between the last week of May and the first two weeks of June. Don't miss it!
You can check out the Pick Your Own website to find your state harvest calendar and note when crops will be starting to ripen, and when the peak is for harvest.
1.31
It's market time! Now is the season to get out and not only buy some fresh produce and baked goods, but to enjoy local camaraderie, see old friends and meet new ones. There is a strong and growing 'buy local' trend in the US, which is a great thing. Many restaurants are looking at farm-to-table sourcing for their menus, and promoting and cooking around the seasonal nature of the local harvest. Local farm markets may just be the key to revving up your power pantry as well.
If you've never visited a local farmer's market, I'd encourage you to give it a try. Chances are if there isn't one in the town where you live, there's one within a half hour drive. Like anything else we start paying attention to, once you're aware of shopping and eating more locally, you find there is more opportunity at your fingertips than you suspected.
We live in Lancaster County, PA, and farm stands and markets are a viable year-round opportunity. I pass a berry farm, an Amish stand and a good and growing roadside farm store on my 5 mile commute to work, all of which have great seasonal offerings. There are three other roadside stands within a few miles of us that do brisk business three or four seasons out of the year. Point is, we have no excuse for not shopping and attempting to eat in a healthy way; all we need to do is engage in the opportunity right in front of us.
Organized farmers' markets are another offering for local fare. These are often open one or two days a week with a dozen to sometimes dozens of stands with everything from baked goods, jar goods, and produce to fresh flowers, home made crafts and even fresh seafood. Our local farmer's market in Lititz has a great vendor who drives to Maine regularly to purchase and bring back fresh seafood - it's quite a hit. Check out the Lititz Farmer's Market here.
Looking for an official farmer's market in your area? Try out this web site by LocalHarvest. It's a tremendous resource for general information, hours, locations, etc. for farm markets all over the country. And make it a point to find a market, or farm stand or roadside stand, near you and buy some fresh food to stock up your power pantry.
By the Way
There's another 'advanced' opportunity when it comes to buying local, seasonal produce and farm-fresh food: the CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and like farm markets everywhere, it is trending steadily in popularity nationwide. (Learn more from this page on LocalHarvest.) At a CSA, you pay for a 'share' (or half share) for the growing season, and reap a weekly bundle of whatever fresh produce is being harvested that week.
A calendar is often published indicating what to expect from the harvest at which parts of the season. There will be greens and berries and root veggies, peppers, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, watermelons... the list go on and on. All you do is stop by on your designated day of the week, and that week's share is waiting for you. It's another opportunity to connect with your local community and often yields rich experiences not only with your local farmer, but with your surrounding community as well. And what you'll realize is that you're not the only one building a power pantry.
