Day 26 - 31 Days to a Greener and Healthier Life

Shop at your local farmers market.

What: Why not make the local farmers' market your new favorite shopping place?  It's a great way to show your support to local farmers, artisans and artists who gather at farmers' markets to sell their own products.  With them around, you can find out exactly where your food comes from and how it's grown. You can engage in a conversation about what you're buying with a grower who would be more than happy in telling you about it. Local farmers live on or near their farms so they have a vested interest in keeping the surrounding land healthy, unlike big corporate farms, which often pollute the land and are not members of the community. Here's another reason why we love the farmers market: most stands are organic, whether or not you see the USDA seal. Small farmers can't always afford organic certification, but most of them follow the guidelines, providing you with delicious, healthy food.

 Why:  Buying from your local farmer allows you to support local agriculture. This means that the food you are eating comes from nearby, and does not require wasting lots of energy and petroleum to ship the food half-way around the world. You are eating food in your own environment, where it has perfectly-created nutrients for your specific climate and region. You are also supporting the environment by reducing the usage of fossil fuels. Eating locally grown food is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and support your local economy. And chances are, your local farm doesn't use pounds of pesticides or antibiotics. Not only will you be eating healthy when you shop there; your money be staying in your area, and you will happily please the farmer that worked hard to grow what you purchased.

How:

• Research and locate both your nearest farmers' market and other nearby markets. If there are several markets in your area, you should visit all of them to find the best selection and best deals.
• Need help finding your local farmer's market? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a super user-friendly web page where you can find all the farmer's markets in your local area. Check out their site at: http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/.
• Arrive early if you can. If you arrive early, you get first look at the produce. If you arrive during the peak middle hours, you'll have to deal with larger crowds and bestselling items may already be out of stock.

• Bring your own reusable containers and bags so you don't have to use or ask for plastic from vendors.

• Check everything out first. Don't buy the first thing you see. Take a few minutes to walk through the entire market. There might be slight price variations, but there might also be some variations in quality, and quite frankly, in personalities.

• Talk to the farmers. Ask them about their produce. Ask them how they grow it, whether they use pesticides or herbicides. Ask them what vegetables they recommend. Ask them how to cook it, especially if you've never seen it before. Getting to know the producers / salespeople is your first step in building a lasting relationship with them and enjoying the great deals that can come from such a relationship.

• If you can, buy in bulk. Because most vendors at farmers' markets grow seasonal products, there is often a large surplus of certain products at certain times. If you are willing to purchase large quantities of surplus items in peak season, you can add value to your purchase by saving seasonal food. You can freeze, can or dry them for example, for out of season consumption.

TIP:  Participate in community-supported agriculture. Buy shares in a participating farm near you, then have fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables delivered to you each week from the season's harvests.