How To Eat Fresh and Local

On Greensburg, city manager Steve Hewitt decides to rebuild his devastated city green. He says one of the main inspirations for going green is that Greensburg is an agriculture town and that it's in the town's spirit with all the wide open spaces. And he's right. Agriculture is an integral cornerstone to going green. Here are three ways you can support a town like Greensburg near you and go green.

Buy local - there are a number of reasons to buy local food, not the least of which is supporting your local farmers. Small farms tend to lean towards organic growing practices and more often eschew harmful pesticides and preservatives (see below). Look into programs like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and see what sort of produce you can pick up locally.

Buy organic food - Though you hear the term 'organic food' all the time, you might not know that it actually refers to a specific, official certification process for the food - and that's partly why it's more expensive. So what does it mean? Well, a number of things: fruits and vegetables must be grown without the use of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, and they must be chemical preservative free. A farm must go through a lengthy process, to get certified, so show your support for their dedication and eat organic (it's healthier too!)

Go to Farmers' markets - These are a longtime staple of green living - and have been since long before anyone was concerned with green living. Support local farmers, find fresh food, and participate in your community. Plus, it's just plain old fun to peruse the produce and chat with your neighbors (even if you live somewhere like New York), as farmers tend to love what they do. So locate a farmers' market near you, and find the freshest food around.

Comments

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[robin50]

I live in Indiana and a worry here now is being sure the local veggies have not been immersced in flood waters. Purdue Unniversity released a warning of using any veggies even if cooked. They recommend the crops be plowed under and wait till next year growing season before planting these fields again. I have tomato plants and help a friend of mine with a huge garden. However the county next to me grows the best canalopes in the country. The whole county was affected by the flooding. The canalopes I will miss!

[Emmagoldmanbabe]

HuffPost's Pick

I bought some frozen organic spinich this past winter and when I got it home, realized that it was grown in China. Whatever benefit the planet gained from the lack of pesticides was lost in the 8,000 mile trip to New England.

I plant a large vegetab;e garden now that I have land, but always had a container of tomatoes on my patio, even when I lived in San Francisco. I buy most of my food from small local farms. Some of these farms are not certified organic due various reasons, but I know the woman who raised the pig, the man who planted my sweet potatoes, and know that they use sustainable growing practices. I also never worry about poison tomatoes.

I freeze tomato sauce and pesto and freeze other produce through the summer/fall, which we eat all winter. What I don't grow, I buy from local farms. The food tastes wonderful. I started growing food because of the flavor. Now I grow food because it tastes the best and it's better for everyone involved.

[sxm342]

You need to be careful with organic produce. Some organic growers use organic pesticides­/herbicide­s that can be just as bad as the commercial ones even if they are natural.

[bekc123]

I would also recommend that we stop shopping at the big grocery stores, and find the local, healthy, organic markets.

[maddie0001]

Food at a farmer's market is not necessarily 'local'. I've seen tomatoes and corn here and neither one is in season right now.

[noneIn2008]

You hit one core point, buy from the small family farmer. Avoid the corporate farms and the agri giants like Conagra, ADM, Kraft.......

[Eastham]

I have been a participant in community supported agriculture since moving to New York. When I lived in Brooklyn, I regularly attended our local farmer's market, which required that all venders be organic as well as local. The coordinator of the market was an organization called Just Food.

After moving to the Bronx, I purchased a share in Sisters Hills Farm, a CSA farm. I am now in my third year of participation. I pick up my food every Tuesday at the College of St. Vincent, which is run by the Sisters of Charity, who are also the owners of the farm (hence the name Sisters). The farm is divided into three unequal pieces -- the part (the largest) which grows fresh veggies for food pantries in NYC, the shares and the portion dedicated for sale in local green markets. Tonight my portion consisted of several heads of broccoli, 3 heads of different kinds of lettuce, bok choi, garlic scapes, spinach, squash (the first), radishes and small white turnips.

I've learned to freeze and can and live off of my share throughout the entire year. I rarely buy veggies at the grocery store. I also never buy lunch at work, but bring mine from home. I've also met lots of lovely people on "share" day.

If everyone in the US ate 1 locally grown, organic meal out of the 21 we eat each week, we would save 1.1 million barrels of oil each week. We'd also be a lot healthier.