There are so many benefits to eating locally grown food. Foods grown and harvested closer to home are better for your health, the planet, and your wallet! 

Our bodies evolved eating local and seasonal foods. Let’s face it, we didn’t have strawberries in winter until less than 100 years ago when large-scale agriculture and distribution came around. Being able to find whatever produce or food item you want, year round, is a modern reality. While it may seem luxurious, it’s typically worse for the planet and your health. 
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WHY is buying local and seasonal fresh foods better? 

• Less carbon footprint getting your food to market. Think about it. Fresh foods stored for weeks or months then transported by air freight or transit can have significant distribution-related carbon impacts
• Studies show eating foods consumed closer to harvest time contain more nutrients AND MORE FLAVOR
• Local = fresher, which means it lasts longer in your refrigerator, reducing food waste
• Buying local supports local farmers and the local economy 
• Buying seasonal foods helps diversify your palette by experimenting with what’s in season as opposed to the same ol’ foods

Solutions? 

• Shop at farmers markets
• Join the local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). I belong to the Tucson CSA and I purchase all my meat, and most of my produce there
• Look for “Local” signs in your grocery market
• Read labels and signs in the store. Often there are stickers marking where something was grown. Do you really need a pear from Argentina?
• Shop what is on sale. Often what’s on sale is seasonal. 

One of my favorite things about being a Tucson CSA member is that you never know what you might get in your share. This week was rutabagas! Like turnips, the rutabaga is in the cabbage family. Sweeter and larger than a turnip they are a good sources of fiber, vitamin C, and provide a decent amount of carbohydrates (11 grams/cup raw).