I have long loved local food. However, even here in the Midwest it hasn’t always been easy getting my hands on local produce and meat that are grown in a way I feel comfortable supporting (or putting into my body). So, I recently went on a quest to find the best local options and thought I’d share what I learned to increase your quality of life too.

First of all, no matter where you live I highly recommend you search “local CSAs” on the internet or check out www.localharvest.org to find a farm or CSA that services your area. CSAs are crop shares or Community Supported Agriculture and besides making shopping extremely convenient, they are bomb ass because they provide you with the produce straight from a local garden (or several!). By joining one you are supporting your local farms with your dollar and in turn receive the freshest in season produce available. The CSA I joined, Yellowbird Foodshed, offers produce from several local farms that follow organic farming practices and are non-gmo. How our food is grown is extremely important for the health of our body, community, and earth. If growing practices aren’t clear on the CSA’s website don’t hesitate to call around to make sure you are getting the healthiest crop available! To learn more about why the health of our food is so important visit my previous blog post, Nurturing Nourishment. If you live in the Columbus area and want to give Yellowbird a try sign up here with a bonus of $10 off your first order!

Now you may be thinking, “Amanda, I already buy organic and non-gmo. Are there really that many more benefits to eating locally grown foods?” The answer is YES!

The dollars you spend go directly back into YOUR community. I’ve long been a proponent of small business so, naturally, I wanted to support my local farmers. However, buying from a CSA goes even further beyond that. It’s likely that your CSA also employees other community members to help box and distribute all that local yumminess. So, your truly do get to become engrained in your community in a whole new way!
You gain access to more nutritionally dense food. Much of the “fresh” produce purchased at a grocery store has been in storage for months. This has a negative impact on the vitamins and nutrients it can offer us. So, locally grown food is generally fresher, meaning it is better able to support our immune system, digestion, and even that healthy glow. What a great example of getting more bang for your buck!
A reduced carbon footprint. Most of our produce is shipped hundreds of miles and requires months of storage before making its way to our plate. With the current state of our environment we should all be thinking of ways to lighten Mother Nature’s load. Purchasing produce from a local CSA is an easy, convenient way to do just that.
In season produce allows us to eat in rhythm with nature. Many philosophies, including Ayurveda, believe that eating in rhythm with the seasons allows us to better support our body’s needs all year long. Eating seasonal produce can up regulate our immune system and has a positive effect on the type of nutrients we need as our degree of activity varies with the seasons. Warming and more nurturing foods often grow in winter and lighter, cooling foods in the summer. This natural phenomenon helps our bodies perform better in the changing temperatures and daylight hours each season brings.
Stronger relationships with the farmers and transparency on how your food was grown. Back in the day people had strong connections with the farmers that grew their food (if they didn’t grow it themselves). We knew where our food came from and connected to the very energy that sustained us. The disconnection that has come with our more modern food system has had negative impacts on mental health, nutrition levels, and even carries financial implications. I truly believe that re-establishing a connection with our farmers is a necessary step to healing our people and our land.

On a final note, many CSAs, mine included, offer add-ons of local meat, dairy, and grains… just make sure those animals are pasture raised and that the grains are not sprayed with pesticides! So, rather than giving your money to a large corporation that has imported your food from another country or region, why not do your shopping with your local farmers? I’m sure it would make their heart full and yours too!

As always, if you have any questions or want to learn more about the information shared in this post send me an email or connect on social media. I’d love to hear from you!