Editor's note: In Context is a new series designed to inform and educate you on Heifer's work in each country we have a presence. Every two weeks we'll tackle a different country and examine unique situations related to hunger and poverty, how Heifer works to address them as well as take some time to explore local culture and traditions.
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Photo by Ketowna09 courtesy of Creative Commons |
No matter where you live, you can do your part to improve the food system (and your well-being in the process).
An easy way to pitch in and start fixing the problem is to eat local. When you eat local you eat with the seasons; you eat your fruits and vegetables the way they were meant to be eaten.
Benefits include:
Flavor: Fruits and veggies right after theyrepicked during their growing season taste fresher and have a lot more flavor.
Environment: When grown in their ideal season,plants are naturally stronger and more resistant to pests and disease so thatthey require fewer pesticides and fertilizers
Nutrition: Certain fruits and vegetables canonly be grown during certain seasons. When you buy them off-season, yourelikely purchasing food that was picked weeks or months, earlier. Since producestarts to lose nutrients shortly after they have been picked meaning out ofseason has lower nutritional values.
And dont forget,when you eat with the seasons, you keep wealth in your community.
While specific cropsand harvest dates vary by region, here is a sampling of fruits and veggies youcan expect to find at the market this spring.
- Apricots
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Cherries
- Fava Beans
- Greens
- Lemons
- Mint
- Peas
- Strawberries
- Turnips
To find out what's in store for you this spring, check out Locavore on iTunes. It's an app that tells you what fruits and veggies are available in yourarea.