Straight Off the Vine

-
Straight Off the Vine

It seems the older I get, the more I dislike winter. I don’t like to be cold, I don’t like driving in hazardous conditions, and more than anything, I hate the short daylight hours. 

Now that I got that out of my system, it’s March, and March makes me happy. It’s still cold outside, but the daylight hours are getting a little longer and it’s time to start planning my garden…..summer will be here before I know it!!

I don’t have a large garden, so I have to give careful consideration to how I use my space. This year I’ve settled on 12 tomato plants, 4 cucumber plants, 6 assorted pepper plants, kale, summer squash, and a variety of herbs. I like to grow my plants from heirloom variety seeds, so I have checked the calendar and March 16 is going to be seed starting day…..very exciting!!

Gardens are great, but for those of you that don’t have the space to grow your own foods, you should give consideration to buying locally grown produce when it’s in season. Why should you care?? Because it’s better for you, your community, and the planet!!

·     It may be safer: small farmers tend to use fewer, or no chemicals, versus the many chemicals used by large commercial farmers.
·     It’s better for the environment: less travel time uses less fossil fuels; local farming is less detrimental to the soil than commercial farming; and local produce ripens naturally versus the ethylene gases often used to ripen commercially farmed foods.
·     Small farming helps preserve heirloom varieties of plants.
·     Buying local produce helps you develop a connection with your food, as well as the community.
·     Buying local supports the financial health of the community.
·     Of particular importance to me, fruits and vegetables grown locally often retain many more nutrients: they are ripened naturally; they are picked fresh; and local produce doesn’t travel long distances which means they get to market faster. Nutrients begin to deteriorate the minute fruits and vegetables are harvested, so the faster they get on your plate, the better!! Also, fully ripened fruits and vegetables have had time to develop more nutrients compared to those that are prematurely picked and artificially ripened.

That is just a short list of why you should buy locally grown produce. But if none of those reasons inspire you, how about this: fresh, locally grown seasonal produce, simply tastes better!! 

It’s only March but I am already looking forward to the fruits of my labor. My neighbor loves it too…sometimes we’ll just stand in the garden and eat the produce Straight Off the Vine….it doesn’t get any better than that!!

NSB
https://www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry/factsheets/buylocal.html

https://www.downtoearth.org/environment/localhawaii/health-benefits-eating-local-produce

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are All Sugars Created Equal?

-
Image
Are All Sugars Created Equal?  I think one of the most confusing nutrition topics for people is sugar. With so many conflicting stories out there, it’s difficult to separate the facts from the fiction. Not to mention, the types of sugars are endless. How do we know what’s best for our bodies? White or brown sugar? Cane or raw? Should we just go with Stevia instead? Is it even okay to consume artificial sweeteners? Should we avoid foods with high amounts of natural sugar in them? Each answer only seems to lead to another question!  Let’s start off with distinguishing the purpose of sugar in the first place. Do our bodies even need it? The short answer is yes! Sugars are carbohydrates (what we commonly call “carbs”), one of the three main macronutrients that our bodies need for fuel to function and survive. One of the major ways to categorize sugar is by separating the “natural” sugars from the “added” sugars. Natural sugars are, well, naturally found in foods. They give us the energy th
Read more

Do you struggle with pre and post exercise nutrition?

-
Image
What should i eat before and after a workout? First things first…carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important for the body before  and after exercise. Exercising muscle preferentially uses carbohydrates from stored glycogen, but fats are also an important fuel source for energy production during exercise. Fats and carbohydrates are the two major fuel sources during exercise. Fats must be translocated and broken down from their storage form before they are used. Typically there is enough carbohydrate stored as muscle glycogen for exercise but as muscle glycogen stores decline, the skeletal muscle will then use some amino acids (basic components of all protein). More specifically, the amino acid leucine is used for energy.              It is important to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates exercise to delay fatigue and minimize gastrointestinal distress. It is also important to consume enough fluids to prevent hypohydration. Now, lets talk about pre-exercise me
Read more