Tip of the Week

Eat local this summer

In North America, fruits and vegetables travel an average of 1,500 miles before reaching your dinner table. Buying fresh, local food is not only environmentally sustainable but also preserves flavor and nutrients. For local produce, check out the local farmers' market or join a community garden. Your supermarket may even carry some from time to time. But here's a great way to enjoy the freshest of your region's local harvest all season long - join a Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA).

Here's how they work. Members prepay a fixed seasonal fee to a local farmer in exchange for a weekly share of the harvest, delivered to a location near your home. It's that simple.

Don't wait, though. CSAs are popular and can fill up. For information on joining a CSA group near you, go to nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa, sare.org/csa or justfood.org.

To find a community garden in your area or tips on starting your own, consult your local parks department and see communitygarden.org/links.php#Gardens.

For a farmers' market, farm stand or other supplier of local produce, grass-fed meats, and other sustainably produced food in your area, go to Local Harvest, ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm.

© The Green Guide, 2008

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