Eating produce from within 100 miles of your home .

[Kevin the grey]

The first time I heard of that was this year . Something to do with it helping you combat illnesses from around your area . I know this is an oversimplified view of the theory and really the theory doesn,t interest me as much as the practice .

I am lucky in that I sell a few things to a lady in the countryside . That lady also sells local produce . From ground cherries to corn she has a good variety.

Fresh as I,m likely to get it unless I start going direct to a farmer . Her strawberries are at times the best I have ever tasted . The corn is actually too sweet sometimes . Her garlic is small and a pain to skin but are so juicy and crisp they stick to your hands when sliced . Red peppers ?............. well you get the idea .

Did I also mention she lets me hunt out back ? If only there were some darn deer I would be in heaven .

How many of you guys buy your produce locally ? If you have to go to a fruit store are there things to look for and to avoid ? I am lucky in my winter fruit store . They do not always have the freshest in everything but have a good selection of fresh veggies and fruits . They also seem to buy from smaller producers . They have apples which look a lot more natural than the wax polished wax tasting plastifruits at the local supermarket .

They do squeeze every bit they can from every piece of fruit . There is a lot of volume going in and out which speaks of their popularity . There is a great selection of locally produced breads .(from nan bread to bagels) . All at less than a supermarket . I have discovered they have a blue cheese which is the best I have ever tasted . Rosenborg (sp)

So long story short . Benefits and pitfalls in the production of produce .

 

[JD Mandrell]

I try to, buying local produce is better for you local economy and the environment also. It's not always easy though.

 

[Kevin the grey]

Yep , you can,t go to a farmer and ask him to sell you stored produce in winter . At least not easily . My fruit store does pretty good . They will have last years apples right into summer that still taste better than plastifruit .

THE LAST CONFEDERATE ? What produce is the best where you live ?

 

[JD Mandrell]

I live within 30 miles of a large group of Apple and Peach orchards, then we have a few good Farmer's Markets for everything else, most garden vegetables.

Of them all, our local Peaches are awesome!

 

[cjpgeyer]

It is known that eating local honey can 'immunize' you against local allergens. I believe the honey must be raw. Don't know about the veggies thing, except to say I heard if distribution becomes too expensive, everyone would be forced to purchase all items from a 100 mile radius. Some study was also done about 'sustainability of the environment' that recommended this approach to help solve world food distribution.

 

[Vivi]

I always skin fruits and veggies I get from supermarket chains so I'm not consuming a bunch of wax. I stop by local growers when I see them out.

 

[Kevin the grey]

Vivi ? I know they put that wax on a lot of apples . Don,t tell me they put it on veggies too . Which ones ?

B:T:W: boys I just had a nice crisp cortland apple . The unwaxed version . Deelish .

 

[rebeltf]

One of the best things about living in my area is the ginormous amount of Ag to be had.
You name it , it is grown here in the San Joaquin valley.
I can drive 15 minutes and buy local , fresh avocados , red lettuce , iceberg , romaine , carrots , peppers of any kind nearly , citrus , peaches , plums , nectarines, corn up the ying yang , pumpkins and other squash.

 

[lambertiana]

One of the best things about living in my area is the ginormous amount of Ag to be had.
You name it , it is grown here in the San Joaquin valley.
I can drive 15 minutes and buy local , fresh avocados , red lettuce , iceberg , romaine , carrots , peppers of any kind nearly , citrus , peaches , plums , nectarines, corn up the ying yang , pumpkins and other squash.

Where are you in the valley?

I drive through miles and miles of orchards going to work, so I have plenty of fresh peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, pluots, etc for at least four months each year. Far better than what passes for fruit in the grocery store.

I can also get all kinds of other veggies and fruit at the local farmer's market. Someone at work belongs to a family that grows things like cantaloupe and corn on thousands and thousands of acres on the west side. And several people at work have friends and family who work in the local packinghouses, so they bring things in, too.

I also used to get local honey from someone at the farmer's market. He had all kinds of varieties, cotton was one of my favorites (a lot of cotton is grown around here). I haven't seen him since the price of honey went through the roof a few years back, he sells bulk now. Now the farmer's market has a vendor that sells afalfa and orange honey, locally produced.

 

[rebeltf]

Hey neighbor ! I live in Fresno
I dont buy fruit in stores unless it's something like bananas , too often the fruit is not sweet or just does'nt have a good flavor.

 

[Vivi]

Vivi ? I know they put that wax on a lot of apples . Don,t tell me they put it on veggies too . Which ones ?

B:T:W: boys I just had a nice crisp cortland apple . The unwaxed version . Deelish .

Off the top of my head local supermarket chains here (Giant Eagle, Acme) carry wax coated apples, oranges, pears, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and I'm beginning to suspect their grapes as well. Generally anything with a skin similar to an apple, or anything that look suspiciously shiny is waxed here. An easy way to test is take a very sharp knife and scrape the surface. Waxed products wil leave a white powdery substance on the blade, indicating you're putting some foreign product in your body during consumption. I cut up much of my produce, like apples since I damanged my front teeth heavily skateboarding. Skinning them doesn't take much more effort, and I enjoy sitting down on the front porch chopping up and skinning an apple. Relaxing and delicious.

Society operates in a way to promote this behaviour. If it looks attractive it will be bought.