5 Reasons Why You Should Eat Local Produce

One of the best things about the summer is the chance to eat local produce. Have you ever gone to the grocery store and just looked at all of the food and how far it is come from? This year I signed up for a local CSA (Community Shared Agriculture), since my little furry friends in my backyard like to nibble away at night on my veggies. I wasn't sure I was going to find one so late, but I managed to get signed up and I am thrilled.



Here are my top 5 reasons that you should Eat Local:

1. FRESHNESS

Imagine picking up your vegetables right of the farm or getting a box of fresh vegetables just an hour or two after they are harvested. The quality can not be topped. Nutrients are not lost over long transit times from one side of the world to the other, not to mention the reduction of our carbon footprint. The vegetables are picked at their peak time, instead of being harvested early and ripened while sitting in a truck.


2. VARIETY

What you will often find on the farm or in you local CSA box is variety. Vegetables that you may have not seen before. Different herbs and wild greens. This new variety can force you out of your comfort zone and ignite your creative juices.



One of my favourites is garlic scapes, which are the flowering part of garlic. They are loaded with the same healing properties such as garlic such as boosting the immune system, a source of calcium and anti fungal.

3. EDUCATE YOURSELF AND FAMILY

This is a great opportunity to help educate your family on where food comes from. It doesn't just show up in the isles of grocery stories. This can help reconnect your children or even yourself to the earth and our food. Where and how it is grown and what it looks like in the field.


4. ORGANIC AND GREAT FOR YOU

You can find some great organic options in your community. Start talking to local farmers and see what organic produce they have. If you are like me and eat a lot of vegetables, you will want them to be organic and pesticide free. Just think of all the green juices and smoothies that you can make.




5. SENSE OF COMMUNITY

When you are out and about you have a great opportunity to MEET people. Yes to get out of our fast paced world, slow down and talk to people. Meet your farmers and others in your community. Just this week I was able to connect with some really nice people, that I maybe would not have met if I was rushing through a grocery store. We even went to an asparagus festival last weekend.

Hopefully I have encouraged you to go find some farms, join a CSA or even visit your market. I would love to have you comment about what your are doing in your community and if you are part of a CSA.

If you haven't already it would be great to have you join my facebook page .

Stay tuned for another one of our Blyssful Health contest coming up in the month of July!!!!!