"Local Food" has become quite the buzz phrase over the past few years, and thank goodness that it has.
As a community, we have taken huge leaps forward in questioning and understanding where our food comes from, and making conscious decisions when purchasing food. Like anything that catches on quickly, there are going to be misunderstandings as to why we’re making these changes, as well as potentially just-as-harmful alternatives that pop up to fill this new demand. It’s all part of the learning curve that all of us are required to endure — a process that eventually helps us gain a true understanding of why and how our actions affect the world. I’d like to shed a little light on the subject of local food and seasonality, to help you and your family make the best possible decisions.
Why is local food better for the environment?
•Less miles traveled — less carbon released
This one is the most obvious. If we don’t have to ship and truck food around the globe, we do not have to use the petroleum resources to do so. This especially comes into play when you think of packaged foods which require many ingredients — all of those ingredients had to first be shipped to the processing plant before being distributed around the globe.
•Diversity of crops — less chemicals used
If farmers are able to grow a diversity of crops, they rarely need to use the amount of chemical pesticides and fertilizers to have a healthy harvest. Basically, industrial farming requires mechanization because of its sheer size, which means you can only grow one crop for ease of planting and harvesting. This creates a buffet of a certain pest’s favorite foods — you better believe they’ll call in all of their friends, which is why blanket chemical pesticides are used. When planting on a small scale, many pests can be kept in check by observation and intercropping.
•Locally grown & sold — less energy used and less carbon released
80 percent of the energy used in the U.S. food system is in preparing, processing, packaging, transporting, and storing food. This industrialized farming system is responsible for 35 - 55 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Buying from your local farmer exponentially reduces the need for all of these processes.
Why is local food better for the farmer?
•Makes farming financially feasible
93 percent of the money in our global food system goes to the truckers, wholesalers, processors, packagers and distributors. This leaves 7 cents on the dollar for the farmer, which obviously makes farming impossible unless you are working on an industrial scale. Large companies usually sell all kinds of things, so they are able to absorb losses.
•Diversity of crops — decrease in harmful chemicals
When growing on a small scale, farmers are able to keep insects in check through observation, intercropping and focused pest control. However, on a large scale farm workers are exposed to blanket pesticide spraying, from planes and/or tractors. This inevitably has caused thousands of severe health problems over the past few decades.
Why is local food better for you and your family?
•Harvested fresh — better taste and better nutrition
Fresh fruits and vegetables lose the majority of their nutritional value within three days of being harvested. Also, if food is harvested to be shipped, it must be picked before it’s ripe, which means it did not have a chance to fully develop its flavor or nutritional value.
•Small Farmers — More Variety
Fruit and vegetable varieties are chosen due to their ability to hold up to shipping and storage, which means they were not picked for their flavor or nutritional value. Did you know we used eat 80,000 varieties of food? Currently, we eat only 1 percent of the vegetable varieties grown just 100 years ago.
Seasonality in Northeast Florida
Farmers markets are the first place people go when they decide to purchase locally grown foods. Fortunately, we now have these available in our community. However, we must know that there are no regulations in Florida requiring that food sold at a farmers market must be grown locally and sold by a farmer. Who sells at a farmers market is completely up to the market manager and those who coordinate the market.
Unfortunately, northeast Florida has lost an incredible amount of farmland due to industrial agriculture and development (58 percent decrease in Duval County between 1998 and 2002), so we are just starting to regain small farmers in our area. This is because of the demand consumers have made in the past few years — because we are willing to pay the farmer for the value of the food they provide for us, and create the outlets for them to sell their products. With such a small pool of farmers in our area, however, some farmers markets allow resellers to sell produce which is not necessarily grown locally. This is food that is grown at high volume and sold at low prices, which small farmers can’t compete with.
Get to know your farmer, and get to know the seasons. In most temperate climates, markets are closed in the winter. In Florida, we find our low season during the heat of summer, and our abundant seasons between October and June.
Winter/Early Spring: Salad Greens, Collard Greens, Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussel Sprouts, Pecans, Turnips, Beets, Carrots, Radishes, Citrus, Salad Greens, Strawberries, Sweet Potatoes, Herbs.
Spring: Blueberries, Strawberries, Potatoes, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Zucchini, Salad Greens, Onions, Carrots, Fennel, Potatoes, Mulberries, Citrus, Herbs
Summer: Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplants, Corn, Melons, Peaches, Herbs, Okra, Beans
Fall: Eggplants, Peppers, Okra, Herbs; Late Fall you will see a second harvest of tomatoes, cucumbers and summer squash
The Beaches Local Food Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to bring local food and education to our community. Just two years ago, the network started the Beaches Green Market and Beaches Organic Community Garden, both located in Jarboe Park in Neptune Beach.
The Beaches Organic Community Garden provides 24 plots for individuals to grow food for their families, as well as demonstrations of native plants, herbs, and fruit trees that grow well in our area. Through the garden, gardening workshops are offered for adults as well as children’s groups for gardening activities. The hope is to find funding to revamp the Children’s Gardening Program within the next year.
The Beaches Green Market has grown into a weekly community event which hosts vendors who share the vision and mission of the non-profit, providing products which better the environment and the community. Some examples include locally grown vegetables, fruits and herbs, plants, free-range eggs, hormone-free and grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, organic teas, gluten-free and vegan foods, local seafood, hand-crafted soaps, locally made pastries & baked goods, all-natural pet treats, ‘green’ items for your home and much more.
The Market is held every Saturday afternoon from 2 to 5 p.m. in Jarboe Park. To learn more, please visit www.BeachesLocalFoodNetwork.org