“Why is the produce at the farmers market so much better than the grocery store?”
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS OF LOCALLY GROWN PRODUCE
Locally grown fruits and vegetables are picked at their peak of nutrition and flavor. Locally grown produce is rich in vitamins such as C, E, A. This is as opposed non-local produce which can be picked under-ripe to facilitate shipping long distances along with long shelf life which can cause the nutrients in your produce to start to deteriorate and change. Local produce will be what is in season grown in nutrient rich soil and will be at its peak in quality and freshness. Knowing where the crops are grown and under what conditions along with when they are harvested is comforting to most people. Local means it was harvested in the last couple days not in the last week or two. When buying local produce that is pesticide and herbicide free at the farmers market you will see, smell, taste and feel the difference. – Information Courtesy of The Backyard Farmer
“So what? The kids are hungry, I don’t feel like cooking and LOOK…there is a drive thru right there!”
YOU OWE IT TO THE NEXT GENERATION
One of the most startling statistics out there is that if we continue on the same pace we are now with feeding children processed foods that you can find at fast food restaurants and in the frozen food aisles our children will be the first generation to NOT outlive their parents. This is not irreversible. The solution is easily accessible. The solution can be found at the farmers market and is also a fun way to teach our children that eating whole and unprocessed fruits and vegetables can be just as tasty.
As Jamie Oliver says in his “Food Revolution” “The problem stems from the loss of cooking skills at home and the availability of processed foods at every turn. This Food Revolution is about saving lives by inspiring everyone: moms, dads, kids and teens to get back to basics and start cooking good food from scratch”
“$6.00 for a pound of ground beef!? That’s crazy, I mean really….what’s the difference?”
NUTRITIONAL BENEFITS ON CONSUMING GRASS FED BEEF
Cows, prior to WWII, were all grass fed. It wasn’t until then that it was discovered that if you feed a cow corn or grain instead of grass the cows will fatten up quicker. However the Cows stomach was never meant to consume mass amounts of grain which then leads to digestive problems. The answer for that was for the industrial food system to create antibodies to give them. What is injected into the food we eat ultimately ends up in us. That is where the saying “You are what you eat” is relevant.
Grass-fed beef comes from cows that eat only grass and other foraged foods. Grass fed meat is lean and it is also lower in calories about. Grass Fed beef contains approximately 100 fewer calories than a 6-ounce steak from a grain fed cow. When meat is this lean, it actually lowers your LDL cholesterol levels. Although grass fed meat is low in “bad” fat (including saturated fat), it gives you from two to six times more of a type of “good” fat called “omega-3 fatty acids.” Omega 3’s reduce heart disease and cancer risks.
“Come on?! How much of an impact on the whole world does it really make if I buy apples from Argentina, they are cheaper!”
SAVE THE WORLD- ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
When we think about global warming, we usually think about transportation or amount of energy we consume in our homes. However how we eat has just as big an impact on climate change. According to Michael Pollen, author of The Omnivores Dilemma, 20% percent of greenhouse gases can be traced to agriculture and to the food system. We teach our customers the concept of “food miles” is an attempt to quantify the amount of energy that goes into our food. The average food item in America has traveled 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate. It’s burned up an incredible amount of fossil fuel just to get there. The definition of a carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities. The carbon footprint of food produced locally is less than the footprint of food shipped in from far away. Simply put, the idea is the more miles traveled, the greater the negative influence on the environment.
“The government is doing NOTHING for the economy! What can we do about it?”
INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING ABOUT THE ECONOMY TAKE IT INTO YOUR OWN HANDS- ECONOMIC BENEFITS
Local farmers markets in your community are a great source of locally produced products made by local businesses. When communities support farmers markets they are creating jobs for the small businesses selling at the market causing them to expand. Shopping at farmers markets are a practical and easy way for a community to stimulate their local economy.
Another factor to consider is that the circulation of money within a community is very important to a healthy local economy. Money is like blood in the body. It needs to keep moving around to keep the economy going. When money is spent elsewhere—at big supermarkets and non-locally owned businesses such as on-line retailers—it flows out, like a wound.”
Also as with the body, we need the blood to survive as we do in the community with vibrant local businesses.
—Faithfully Yours In The Movement
AZ Local Farmers Markets