Buying Local....Eating Fresh

Can you feel it? It’s almost here! In just a matter of weeks, spring will be here in just a matter of weeks. I know, many of you are still buried under a blanket of snow. We were too just a matter of days ago, in fact it is snowing right now, but spring is coming. I for one, can not wait!

What does spring mean for you? An end to shoveling snow? Daffodils blooming, birds returning to your yard? How about fresh produce? Sure, it will take a few weeks for the farmer’s markets and produce stands to be loaded with fresh greens and other tasty fruits and veggies, but it is coming!

This time of year, I get an itch to get my garden planted. I crave fresh salads and fresh berries! Watch for any tiny sign that spring is here from fresh new leaves appearing on our trees, to the first blossom of spring bulbs and flowers. Every day it seems something else starts to come to life after a long winter.

It may be hard to imagine anything beyond snow covered ground after months of winter. It seems that this winter, for many of us, has gone on for much longer than normal. Many of us have seen weeks of snow, much more than we ever want to see again. Are you ready? Ready for spring?

Salads and salad dressings are a welcomed addition to our meals this time of year. Spring greens and crisp lettuce will start to be seen any time now at your local produce stand. I can’t wait! Sure, most grocery stores carry lettuce and salad greens all year long. Green houses provide most growers with a constant crop of lettuce and many other produce. Many of our salad greens and lettuce that we find in the super markets this time of year are trucked in from hundreds of miles away. For me, there is nothing better than a locally grown bunch of lettuce or greens.

I try to buy local as often as possible, and eating more foods while they are in season, than relying on a grower that lives hundreds, if not thousands of miles from my home. Not just for economic reasons, as buying local is generally less expensive than buying from a far off grower, but also for health reasons. The food is just fresher, full of more nutrients and is processed less. For me, that is important.

Watch for your local produce stands and farmer’s markets to start carrying fresh, local foods. We are heading into the time of year that weekly there will be a new item, fresh from the fields. Soon, you’ll be able to plant your own little tomato plant in a pot on your patio, or plant your backyard garden. Can’t get much more local than that!

Enjoy the fresh, seasonal foods that your grocer, farmer’s market or produce stand has to offer this season! I challenge you to eat locally grown, fresh produce as much as possible. It’s good for you, your local economy and your budget. A win, win as far as I can see.

Keep watching for those little signs of spring, they are everywhere...or soon will be!