By: Cindy Livesey
Summer is the time of year that people associate with some of the best fruits and vegetables. After all, who doesn’t associate a nice juicy watermelon with a hot summer day. Well, all through the year there is local produce that can be purchased fresh for each area of the country. Buying fresh, in season produce from your local market saves you money and saves the environment.
The most popular fruits and vegetables, such as bell peppers, tomatoes, blueberries and more are shipped via air from different countries around the world for us to purchase throughout the year. Not only does this take a toll on global warming emissions but it also is more expensive to purchase.
Right now in NJ, for instance, you can get fresh, locally grown, beets, blueberries, lettuce, peaches, potatoes, corn and more. As late as the beginning of December you can get locally grown cauliflower in Ohio. Each state produces different crops at different times of the year. A great resource to find out what is locally grown in your area is the Natural Resources Defense Council. The NRDC is an environmental action organization that helps to protect the planet’s wildlife. They have compiled a comprehensive list for each state and each time of year in the Eat Local section of their website. To find out what is fresh in your area you can visit their site here.
Source: Natural Resources Defense Org
Photo by: Natalie Maynor