Local Harvest: Why it's so Important

Germs can come from anywhere, but the less your food has to travel, and the less transitions it has to make, the less likely it will be contaminated. Knowing where your food comes from not only lessens your risk, but also makes you less likely to waste it. Win-win. Moldy strawberries STINK, but moldy strawberries that you picked from your own garden? Well that just doesn’t happen. IYKYK

Unfortunately huge factory farms are a reality….and it’s kind of sneaky! For instance (since ya know they’ve been in the news lately…) Taylor Farms supplies so many restaurants, and items purchased in grocery stores. You can find them under private labels… like Earthbound Farm, Eat Smart, 365 and Wholefoods (note same Taylor Farms product here, twice the price), Good & Gather at Target, Marketside at Walmart and more. So the more you can buy locally, the more you can work against the harmful factory farm trend.

The more local you shop…the less carbon emissions, more money in your community, more supporting your local ecology and so much more. yes we fully recognize that access and expense are often barriers. Here is last year’s post about local markets, plus a site where you can find all the local markets in Massachusetts. We also have a great partnership with Supply Bulk Foods, which is committed to sustainable and ethical sourcing for dry goods (they deliver to us once a month).

With the harvest comes abundance (hopefully!) and sometimes overwhelm, which leads us to, food storage! Stock up on local produce to preserve (and take advantage of the lower cost) for the winter. If it’s an eating really soon thing- ambrosia produce bags really do extend the life of your produce- the plastic bag you’ve been using, well, it isn’t sustainable, and it doesn’t let your lettuce ‘breath’ and stay fresh. We love using our bamboo lids, silicone lids, and goodies from beeswax wraps for so much else.

Have too many blueberries to eat? Do you freeze? Do you can? Do you make big batches of things? Last year my kiddos and I made blueberry jam and we also froze a good amount of excess blueberries to use in pancakes and smoothies. Freezing is great because it’s a very low lift (and if everything is ripening at different times just easier…), BUT it’s also space consuming (and I still haven’t mastered the art freezing in glass….). It’s also a great time to snag a big batch of ‘seconds’ aka the non perfect produce and making sauces and things!

Canning, is more of a process, but easier to store in a pantry. Its also not quite as intimidating as it might seem.

I love the ease of adding the abundance of zucchini to pancakes and breads (also freezeable), but our local food pantry also gladly accepts.

What are your favorite ways to prolong the harvest or recipes that you love this time of year?

Are you participating in our sustainable summer passport? Make sure you submit your entries! In honor of July’s harvest, we’re gifting the mini winner two of our favorite Ambrosia Bags.