So you’ve made a commitment to eating more foods that are locally grown or you’ve at least been thinking about it… but it’s a big change, you’re a little overwhelmed and you don’t exactly know how to start? Never fear…
You’re 10 simple steps away from kicking the mangoes-in-maine supermarket habit.
- Identify and visit 3 nearby farmers markets. Farmers markets are gaining in popularity at amazing speed these days and you’ll be surprised how many you find close by once you start looking. Google “farmers market [your town/city here]. Chances are, you’ll have a number of choices. Visit them all! No two markets are alike. Shopping at farmers markets is much different than shopping at a supermarket. This is a GOOD thing! The first thing you may notice is the lack of some foods that you’re used to seeing in the supermarket. Remember, you’ve been accustomed to having access to food from all over the world at your fingertips – regardless of the cost to get it there. Much of this supermarket produce is neither fresh nor tasty, having been bred for longevity instead of taste, and having been long before the peak of ripeness in order to be almost ripe by the time it gets to you. Which brings us to one of the next things you’ll notice at the farmers market – the food tastes so much better. Most of the fruit and veggies will have been picked that very day just as they were reaching their ripest potential. But there are other things that are different about shopping at farmers markets. One of my “whys” for eating local is that I have always had an aversion to grocery stores. I dreaded the weekly trip to find a parking space, push a cart through crowded aisles, and stand in line to checkout. Grocery shopping was the chore I disliked the most and I’d do just about anything to postpone it. My children can attest to my ability to put together countless meals looooong after any reasonable person would have announced “we have no food in the house!” Shopping at farmers markets is so much more enjoyable – the outdoors, the leisurely pace, chatting with the farmers, finding a “new” food, running into a friend and having the time and space to visit with them. Farmers markets have taken the chore out of food shopping and now it’s an activity that I look forward to.
- Have a local food potluck dinner. Once you’ve started to get a feel for what’s in season in your area right now, you’ll want to start cooking in season. A great way to get ideas for seasonally appropriate meals is to invite some friends over for a local food potluck. You’ll be amazed at the variety of dishes that will show up. Be prepared to swap recipes (ask everyone to bring the recipe along with the dish). This is also a great way to find out about new farmers markets and other places to buy local produce. “Where did you find those zebra tomatoes, John?”
- Plan ahead. If you’re accustomed to running to the supermarket several times a week for staples, like milk and bread, you’ll need some advance planning. Growing up in the age of 24-hour supermarkets, the open hours of your local farmers markets may seem quaint or downright inconvenient at times. But persevere and you will be rewarded. Our solution is to make up a weekly menu so we know what we will need for the whole week. This eliminates the possibility of waking up Sunday morning and thinking “Oh, I’m feeling like French Toast this morning. I think I’ll run to the store and get more bread”. If you’ve planned ahead, you already knew you would be having French Toast Sunday morning and you would have bought homemade cinnamon raisin bread from the Amish couple on Saturday afternoon. A little planning makes the French Toast sooo much tastier! AND you don’t have to swap your Sunday slippers for your shopping sneakers and drag yourself to the store just to make breakfast. Once you get into the planning habit, you’re ready for the next step…
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[...] 10 Steps to Eating Local – Part 2 [...]
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