Buy local. Buy organic. We’ve all heard this a million times, but WHY is it so important to do so? There are many reasons that it’s a good idea to follow these simple guidelines, ranging from health benefits to environmental purposes. I’ve broken it down for you and given you some tips and ideas for when the local, organic ingredients you want just seem a little out of budget.

BUY LOCAL

For one, buying locally will provide you with the most nutrient-dense produce. The moment a fruit or vegetable is picked, it starts losing its nutrients through a process called “respiration.” Think about all those strawberries from Mexico or apples from New Zealand. They need to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to get to your grocery store, and that whole time, they are losing much of the vitamin and mineral content that you’re hoping to benefit from.
Stemming off the first point, the travel time it takes to get those apples and strawberries to your market in the US does not come without environmental implications. Think about the amount of oil and labor it takes to transport the produce. This is not doing our globe any favors.
Buying local also tastes better! When produce needs to travel long distances, the fruits and vegetables are picked well before they’re ripe so that they can continue to ripen during their long journey to the markets. Local produce is allowed to ripen naturally, on the stem, as it should be!
When buying at a local farmer’s market, you can actually talk with your farmer about their farming practices. They can share some new ingredients with you and even give you tips on how to prepare them.

BUY ORGANIC

Organic means that fruits and vegetables are grown without pesticides and only use natural fertilizers (think compost!). Even after being washed thoroughly, there is still pesticide residue on conventional produce, which we are ingesting. There are many potential health risks associated with pesticides entering our bodies (check out this link for more info). Kids are especially at risk!
Conventional farming methods greatly deplete our soil of valuable nutrients by using petroleum-based synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, which means our fruits and vegetables are then lacking in nutrients. Organic farming relies on crop rotation and composting, resulting in better tasting and more nutrient-dense food - PLUS organic methods reduce our carbon footprint
Organic animal products are not given any kind of antibiotics or growth hormones, and are only fed with organic feed. They are also treated more humanely (like safer, cleaner living conditions). Animal welfare is definitely something to be thinking about when buying your meats!
Organic foods are guaranteed to not have GMOs in them (genetically modified organisms), meaning the seeds in organic foods have not been altered at the DNA level. We should be eating food in its natural state whenever possible in my opinion!

WHERE SHOULD I BUY MY LOCAL AND ORGANIC FOODS?

I personally love my CSA (community supported agriculture) farm box that I get from a local farm near me. They drop off a box of fresh fruits and vegetables once a week, and I can trust that it’s grown using best practices. I’ve actually spoken to my farmer and visited the farm so I know exactly where my food is coming from. Plus, it gives me the opportunity to get creative and cook with new seasonal ingredients! You can just google search for CSAs near you!
Shopping at your local Farmer’s Market is a great way to support local farms and get organic, seasonal produce. Don’t be shy….strike up conversation with your famers and ask them questions about their farming practices!
Look for the organic foods section at your grocery store, and do your best to find locally grown produce when possible. I know Whole Foods does a great job advertising which fruits and vegetables come from local farms.

UGH BUT ORGANIC IS SO EXPENSIVE!

First of all, think about this. Paying for high quality ingredients will immediately benefit your health. You’ll be nourishing your body with vitamins, minerals, and beneficial nutrients, and you’ll be avoiding chemicals, toxins, and hormones, and the health implications they bring. So you’ll pay now, but save on future doctor’s bills by staying healthy!
If money is a real concern, at least abide by the dirty dozen and clean fifteen, an up-to-date list composed of by the EWG (environmental working group) distinguishing the least and most pesticide-laden fruits and vegetables.
- Dirty Dozen - even after washing, these conventionally grown fruits and vegetables still contained the highest levels of pesticide residue: strawberries, spinach, nectarines, apples, grapes, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, celery, potatoes and sweet bell peppers
- Clean 15- these conventionally grown fruits and vegetables had the lowest levels of pesticide residue: avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbages, onions, frozen sweet peas, papayas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplants, honeydews, kiwis, cantaloupes, cauliflower and broccoli.

I don’t mean to scare you all about the toxicity associated with many fruits and vegetables available to us for consumption, but I do want to bring about greater awareness around this topic. No need to be absolutely crazy about shopping for organic and local foods, but at least take the time to make more thoughtful decisions about what you’re consuming!

For more information, check out:

http://www.organicitsworthit.org/get/10-reasons-buy-organic-0

https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Shopping at a farmers market with my niece