Straight Off the Vine

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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

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