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Home » How to Start » Food Shopping

How far does your produce travel?

Produce from your local grocery store chain (whether it is organic or conventional) travels on average 1500 miles from the farm to your plate. There are several reasons this is a cause for concern:

  • In most cases, the farther your produce travels the less nutritious (and tasty) it is by the time you eat it.
  • Even though the grocery store appears to have a wide selection of produce, their focus is truly on varieties that will travel well and have a longer shelf life.
  • Needlessly transporting produce all around the globe wastes natural resources and harms the environment.

As far as your personal health is concerned, eating organic blueberries from Chile is certainly better than consuming a box of something that is highly processed. However, buying local produce (whenever possible) will result in “fresh whole foods picked at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality” according to Michael Pollan. If you shop at your local farmers’ market you will automatically “eat food that is in season, which is usually when it is most nutritious [and it] also tends to diversify your diet.”

So after learning that organic carrots from a local farm (that were pulled out of the ground yesterday) might be more nutritious for my family than carrots from the grocery store I decided to start visiting our local farmers’ market. I want to share a thing or two that I learned about buying food locally, but before I do I encourage you to find a farmers’ market in your area through the Local Harvest website. This website can also help you find a local farm that offers a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box which allows you to become a member of that farm and receive a weekly box containing produce that they have selected for you.

In regards to farmer’s markets, I first learned that there are different types. The type that I have become fond of is a “growers-only” market, and luckily the largest and most diverse growers-only farmers' market in the Charlotte area is fairly close to us - the Matthews Community Farmers Market. I also visited the much larger Charlotte Farmers Market and quickly got the impression that the people selling the food there weren’t the ones that actually grew it, and a lot of what was offered was not organic or grown locally (including some berries I saw from South America). There were a few local items mixed in, but other than that I felt like I might as well have gone shopping at the grocery store. The Charlotte Market may have a higher quantity of local items once summer nears, but during the time I visited it was definitely a different feeling from the Matthews Farmers Market.

I also learned that if you are planning to hit a local growers-only farmers market like the one in Matthews (especially in the winter) you really need to get there right when it opens - hello 7 A.M.! I learned this the hard way and showed up towards the end the first couple of times only to find that the farmers hardly had any produce left! This was also during their “winter market” when high quantities of local produce are a little harder to come by. So I finally figured out that I must set my alarm on a Saturday morning to try to get there at least close to when the bell rings – yes they actually have a bell to signal the start of selling time! And before the bell even rings there are already lines of people waiting at their favorite booths. Here is a picture

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of some of the things I was able to get this past weekend.

Which leads me to my next point…you must be a little adventurous and willing to try new things because the farmers are basically only selling what’s in season in your area. Trying new recipes with your newly discovered produce can be fun and keep things interesting. Over the last month or two I have tried both rutabagas and collard greens – both items I don’t ever recall eating before, but that is what is fresh and in season here right now. I still can’t live without my organic berries in my granola cereal every morning, but the best thing we can do for ourselves, for our environment, and also for our local agriculture is to try to add as much locally grown produce to our diet as possible. As you can see in my picture, in addition to produce some of the farmers also sell eggs, cheese, grass-fed beef and other locally & humanely raised meats. We have really enjoyed this new food shopping experience and since we aren’t really morning people we decided to sign up for an every other week CSA (from Poplar Ridge Farm), starting in May. I love the idea of a big box of fresh, healthy, local and organic produce that has been reserved just for us!

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About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Trenton Dunlap says

    April 29, 2016 at 2:16 pm

    Did you read the Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan to find this stuff out

    Reply
  2. Dawn Behrens says

    January 27, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    You have a great point, but our growing season is only from May to October. With you living further south it is much easier for you to get fresh produce from a Farmers Market all year round. So yes, I buy organic veggies from the grocery store and who cares if they are not as nutritious. You do heat you can do with the growing seasons in your area. We are still eating clean.

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth says

    January 20, 2015 at 12:04 pm

    So I'm wondering, and I apologize if you've commented on this before, but would you recommend buying the organic bell pepper from Mexico or the non-organic one that is sourced "locally" which I understand from Kroger (our local grocery chain here in Ohio) is within 400 miles?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      January 22, 2015 at 7:21 am

      Hi Elizabeth. This is often a tough question to address. However, since bell peppers are on the dirty dozen list for heavy pesticides, I would choose organic over "local".

      Reply
  4. amanda77k says

    April 17, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    I love our Green Bean Delivery every other week. It's too overwhelming (for me) to figure out what's in season, where it's at, and how to use it. With the bin, I just gotta figure out what to do with it.

    Reply
  5. Linda Petras says

    February 14, 2014 at 6:28 pm

    Carrageenan mostly in dairy is harmful to the intestinal track.

    Reply
  6. Forks to Feet says

    August 16, 2013 at 1:21 am

    I just wanted to say that you have a beautiful and extremely resourceful site. I look forward to exploring all that it has to offer. I've been a whole-food vegan since January and will never go back. Plant-based has empowered me to be a healthier, stronger, and more energized person.

    Reply
  7. Christa says

    July 07, 2013 at 9:44 pm

    One thing I didn't see you mention here, though you probably have mentioned it in later posts, is stocking up and storing for the coming year. You love your organic blueberries? pick or buy in a large enough quantity when they are in season and can or freeze to last you. My family loves strawberries, so yesterday we went and picked 25 lbs. Probably won't last this family of 7 for the year, so we're hoping to go again Tuesday and get that much again if the harvest holds out.

    I stock my freezer with venison in the freezer, berries and fruits in the summer, vegetables as they are available. So tasty.

    Reply
  8. Gail Gardner says

    November 09, 2012 at 3:02 pm

    Hi Lisa,

    If you put a photo in this post that would show up better on pinterest you would get more pins. This is a great post.

    Reply
  9. Courtney says

    September 20, 2012 at 9:52 am

    I'm a Registered Dietitian and love your blog! As I was reading realized you are in the Charlotte area! I'm moving to Queen City in 2 weeks and feel lucky to have information about the Matthews Farmer's Market! I will definitely be making 7am trips there! :)

    Reply
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    August 21, 2011 at 5:49 pm

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  14. Lucius Shirilla says

    June 02, 2011 at 2:09 pm

    Nice post, keep it up :)

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  16. Gerardo Varrato says

    January 26, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    Nice commentary. Last Month I found this web site and wanted to let you know that I have been gratified, going through your site’s posts. I shall be signing up to your RSS feed and will wait for your next post. Best Regards, Lisa

    Reply
  17. TerGaptek.coM says

    January 19, 2011 at 5:48 am

    Nice blog,, Great article, I hope for the updates.
    Reply whenever there’s updates! where i can join your community like Fb or Your Twitter??? thanks, nice TerGapteK ya.

    Reply
  18. One Piece Gigant Battle says

    December 25, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    Great article, I hope for the updates.
    Reply whenever there's updates!

    Reply
    • Trenton Dunlap says

      April 29, 2016 at 2:18 pm

      20 updates

      Reply
  19. Free technical support says

    December 15, 2010 at 8:24 pm

    I really like your blog, extremely informative!

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  20. Tammy McLeod says

    March 29, 2010 at 10:39 am

    Lisa,
    I love your blog. I stumbled on it with a tag search on Community Supported Agriculture. I like your pragmatic style and think it will resonate really well with sensible moms. Thanks for the post. I'm a big CSA fan.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 29, 2010 at 7:56 pm

      Thank you so much for your kind words Tammy! And if you like the site please pass it on to your friends - there is lots more to come! :)

      Reply
  21. Dr. Lisa A. Merritt says

    March 29, 2010 at 10:18 am

    Hi, Lisa! Thank you for sending me info about this website. Is it your own development? Hope to see you soon at the office. Sincerely, Dr. Merritt

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      March 29, 2010 at 7:56 pm

      Hi Dr. Merritt! Thanks so much for visiting my new blog - I just started it last week! Cutting out processed foods has made such a difference in our lives that I just wanted a way to share it with others! And I think you must have cured me or something b/c my back has felt great. I haven't felt like I needed any chiropractic care at all, but if I do I will definitely come back to you! Also, I think you work downstairs from my neighbor Dr. Susan Ladd.

      Reply

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Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

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