Buying Local Produce - Is It Really That Important?

If you follow me on social media, you’ve probably seen me singing the farmer’s market praises, or going off about how much I love my weekly farm box. Honestly, I didn’t used to feel this way. A couple years ago I was shopping at TJ’s for almost all of my food, including my produce (I still love Trader Joe’s, and they provide a lot of great food and great jobs!). It was close to home, cheap, quite a few organic options, and convenient. What more could I want?

Well, let me paint a picture for you. Let’s say you pick up a few apples at a grocery store in the middle of Spring. Those apples were probably picked before they were fully ripe, have been sitting in some sort of cooler for 6 months, were taken out of the cooler a week before you saw them, traveled over 1,000 miles in a truck, and are now sitting in front of you in the grocery store. You really have no way of knowing where your apples were grown, when they were picked, how fresh they are, and how they got to be right in front of you. This applies to more than just apples.

Let me paint another picture. You’re driving home from work on Tuesday, and you stop to pick up a box on your way home. This box is full of 10 different kinds of vegetables and fruits, all grown within your area. You know which farms the produce comes from, that it’s all organic, picked when its ripe, in season, and extremely fresh. You know that you’re supporting a local farmer in your area that works tirelessly to provide their community with fresh produce. That in itself is a pretty powerful thing. 

Maybe you’re starting to understand why I’m passionate about buying from local farmers, but let me explain a few more reasons why:

1. Local and seasonal foods generally have more complex flavors and higher nutrition content. Local produce is picked at peak ripeness, which allows the nutrients and flavor to develop more fully. Once a fruit or vegetable is picked, it slowly starts to lose nutritional value. When you buy locally, not very much time has passed between harvest and your table, meaning more of the nutrients are still in tact.

2. When you buy locally, you are reducing the amount of energy it takes to store and transport your food. Imagine how much energy is used to power giant refrigerators and freezers and semi trucks.

3. Buying from local, organic farms also means you aren’t consuming food with pesticides and herbicides. You are supporting your own health and the health of our planet.

4. When you buy from local farmers and grocers, your money remains within your local economy. You are supporting the livelihood of people in your own community, and helping your community’s economy thrive.

5. You will discover so many fruits and vegetables you never knew existed.

6. So many people in our country don’t have access to fresh produce. If you have the resources and geographical location to do this, then hop on this train! I would encourage you to do your part to contribute to a more sustainable world and a stronger community.

Supporting local farms is supporting your community, the environment, your own health, and preserves natural resources

LOCAL HARVEST is an AMAZING resource. At the top of the website you can search for farmer’s markets, co-ops, and CSA boxes in your area! A lot of areas don’t provide CSA boxes in the winter, but there’s usually a co-op or some other grocery store where you can get local produce.

Three things to look up in your area in order to find local and seasonal produce:

• Co-ops

• Farmer’s Markets

• CSA boxes

Here’s a list of CSA boxes in a few areas that I know people that read my blog are from!

• Seattle, WA:

  • Local Roots Farm

  • Helsing Junction Farm

  • Local Choice Food Box

• Olympia, WA:

  • Wobbly Cart

  • Helsing Junction Farms

• San Francisco, CA

  • Full Belly Farm

• Los Angeles, CA

  • Tanaka Farms

• Santa Barbara, CA

  • Farm Cart Organics

• Portland, OR

  • Hood River Organics

• Denver, CO

  • Ahava Farm

• Kansas City, MO

  • Rolling Prairie CSA

• Portland, ME

  • Frith Farm

Delicata Squash & Brussel Sprout Hash

When I was a little girl, I hated squash. I would cringe whenever my mom put that pile of yellow or orange mush on my plate. I can remember staring down at my dinner plate, empty of everything except for that dreadful squash, trying to think of a way to get out of eating it so that I could leave the table. Oh, how things have changed since then! I had no idea that there was such a beautiful food group I was missing out on.

Now, I could eat squash three meals a day and never get tired of it. I love all the different shapes, colors, and flavors that squash brings in the fall. It’s such a satisfying and heart-warming food, and the possibilities are endless. Whether it’s in a salad, a soup, a muffin, a bowl of oats, or a breakfast hash, it never ceases to compliment dishes with its texture and flavor.

Personally, I have a few favorites when it comes to squash:

• Kabocha: Perfect for curries or yum bowls

• Acorn: Perfect for roasting and stuffing with all sorts of yummy herbs, veggies, and protein

• Butternut: Delicious in salads, soups, and just about anything

• Pumpkin: Put it in pumpkin bread, pancakes, French toast, or baked goods of all kinds

• Delicata: The easiest to prepare, and delightful in salads, hashes, bowls, and more

The biggest complaint I hear about squash is how hard it is to chop and prepare. Yes, slicing a massive vegetable with a tough skin can feel more like chopping wood. Don’t even get me going on how annoying it is when my massive knife gets stuck mid-squash. It’s borderline dangerous. I feel like squash is a good metaphor for life, though. Most good things come with a little work, right? Also, let’s be real… It only takes a few minutes, and if you’re really short on time count is as an arm workout :)

Thankfully, delicata squash is super easy to slice. I always keep the skin on, because its’ pretty thin, so it’s more like chopping a large potato. This hash is a great way to use delicata! It doesn’t use the entire squash, so you can save the leftover pieces in the fridge to roast or sauté later in the week.

This meal would be perfect for a weekend brunch, or even breakfast for dinner :)

Delicata Squash & Brussel Sprout Hash

Ali Beck | October 16, 2019

• prep time: 5 min.
• cook time: 15 min.
• total time: 25 min.

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• 1 c. delicata squash, thinly sliced
• 1 c. thinly sliced brussel sprouts
• 2 c. chopped kale
• 1 organic chicken sausage
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tbs. ghee or avocado oil
• salt & pepper
• chopped fresh basil
• goat cheese

Instructions:

1. Slice the ends off the delicata squash, then cut lengthwise. Remove the seeds, then thinly slice the squash into half-circles. Wash, remove the ends, and thinly slice the brussel sprouts. Wash and chop the kale. Slice the pre-cooked sausage.
2. Heat 1/2 Tbs. ghee or avocado oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 1 c. of the sliced delicata squash and cook for 5 minutes. I like to lay them out flat on the pan so that they cook evenly.
3. after the delicata squash begins to brown and carmelize slightly, add in the brussel sprouts and a little more oil. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring every couple minutes. Once the brussel sprouts start to grow limp and soft, add the kale and the sausage. Cover the mixture with a lid for a couple minutes so that the kale begins to wilt.
4. Once the vegetables are soft and the kale is wilted, divide the mixture between two plates.
5. Use the same pan to fry two eggs. Top the hash with a fried egg, goat cheese, chopped basil, salt, and pepper.

Please comment below with any thoughts or questions about this recipe :)