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The Food Less Traveledby
Audrey Schwartz Apologies
to Robert Frost, but the path to local produce should be the one that
is well traveled,
as it offers so many benefits. •
Locally produced food is usually fresher, and therefore better tasting
and more
nutritious. There
are many sources of locally produced foods and many resources to help
you
locate them. Harvest
Calendars If
you are not familiar with what fruits and vegetables are available
locally
and/or when they are in season, you can find harvest calendars at the
website
for the Farm and Food Project, a non-profit organization of local farms
and
consumers (www.farmandfood.org) and
the website of the New York State Department
of Agriculture and Markets (www.prideofny.com/harvest.html). Honest
Weight Food Co-op In
the Produce section at Honest Weight Food Co-op, the product signs not
only let
you know how the fruits and vegetables were grown (organically or
conventionally), they also tell you where they were grown. Slack Hollow
Farm
and the Farm at Millers Crossing are among the local farms supplying
the Co-op
on a seasonal basis. During a recent shopping trip the selection of
locally grown
products included tomatoes, carrots, onion, mesclun and spinach. The
variety of
locally grown products changes with the growing seasons. But some
products like
mushrooms from Bulich’s and apples from Knight Orchards, to name a few,
are
available almost year round. In order to further assist your shopping,
the
Co-op has copies of a pamphlet, “Local
Foods at Honest Weight Food Co-op,” available on the shelves with
the
newspapers at the front of the store. In
addition to produce, look for locally produced foods in other sections
of the
Co-op. The Diary section includes milk and milk products, such as
yogurt and
cream. The cheese department offers a wide selection of locally
produced
cheese, as well as freerange and organic local eggs. Just
around the right-hand corner from cheese, there is now a large
refrigerator
section of meats from small local farms where the animals are raised
and
pastured in a sustainable, often organic and humane manner. Community
Supported Agriculture When
you join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group, you are signing
up to receive
a regular delivery of local produce from a local farm. CSA terms may
vary, but for
a membership fee you purchase a share of a farmer’s harvest. You
receive fresh
produce that is usually organic or biodynamic. What
is planted is jointly determined by the members and the farmer. In
order to
enhance their connection to the farm, members are encouraged to visit
the farm.
Members may even participate in planting and harvesting activities.
Through CSA
arrangements, farmers can count on a guaranteed income and a ready
market for
their products. As a
result, they are better able to plan and budget. This is the time of
year when deliveries
begin, so if you are interested in learning about local CSAs,
information may be
found at the Farm and Food Project website (specifically, www.farmandfood.org/directory/csa.html) or
at a website for biodynamic farms
(www.biodynamics.com/csa.html). Farmers’
Markets It is
the season for farmers’ markets where several farmers set up their
stands at a
regular site, usually on a weekly basis, and sell their produce
directly to
you. At farmers’ markets, by becoming a regular customer, you can
quickly build
up a relationship with a farmer where he or she will make their best
effort to
make sure they have what you want every week. In order to locate a
farmers’ market
near where you work or live, you may contact the state Department of
Agriculture and Markets at 1-800-554-4501, or find a listing at www.NYFarmersMarket.com or www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/CommunityFarmersMarkets.asp. Although
most farmers’ markets operate in the
months
from spring through the fall, the Troy Waterfront Farmer’s Market (www.troymarket.org) is
open
year-round. Farm
Stands and U-Pick Operations There
are also opportunities to purchase local produce right at the farm
where it is grown.
Some farmers set up stands right at their farm and others (usually
fruit
growers) allow you to visit the farm and pick your own. For a list of
these
opportunities you may visit another website of the state Department of
Agriculture and Markets (www.agmkt.state.ny.us/AP/FFGSearch.asp). |
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