Post by Paddy by Grace on Oct 1, 2009 21:05:49 GMT -7
5 Tips from a Farmers’ Market Manager on Shopping the Final Market
standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Food_Water/091001.farmers.market.html
October 1, 2009
by Lisa Kivirist
Eat. Drink. Better.
The sustainability mantra may be “less is more,” but there’s one exception when buying more makes green sense: shopping the last farmers markets. If you’re not gardening and growing your own produce, your local farmers market serves as your easy connection to one-stop local fare shopping.
But as frosts linger and the cold winds start to blow, don’t punt and think your fresh local bounty will disappear till spring. With a little strategic shopping and planning, you can preserve a local meal focus all winter long by taking advantage of those last farmer’s markets.
Here’s another perk of eating local year round: you’re supporting the economic health of your community. Just ask Cindy Torres, manager of the Longmont Farmers Market outside Boulder, Colorado, and an IATP Food and Society Fellow. Passionate about using local food systems as a healthy economic development tool, Torres co-founded the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council to look at how her area can increase the local food supply to enhance the lives of community residents of all economic backgrounds.
“With a little bit of planning and preparation, we can readily eat local till the spring markets start up again,” explains Torres. Here are her favorite five tips:
1. Identify Your Needs
A simple but important first step, think about what it is you like to eat and use the most of and prioritize stocking up on those items. “There’s no point in buying something and never eating it,” Torres adds. Think potatoes, for example, as these are a basic staple in most family’s kitchen and easily store into the winter.
2. Assess Your Storage
“Take a look at what type of storage you have available at home since this will determine what and how much you should buy,” advises Torres. A basic dark basement that can keep relatively dry can serve as ideal storage for root crops through the spring. Storing potatoes in double brown grocery bags works well.
3. Think Dehydration
Limited on storage space? Try dehydrating as a space efficient food preservation technique. “Dehydrating also works great for stocking up on herbs,” adds Torres.
4. Gather Farmer Advice
“Ask the farmers at your market what varietals work best for storage,” Torres recommends. “Some tomatoes, for example, are better for canning while others are meant to be eaten fresh.”
5. Cook Up Winter Creativity
After you squirrel away your winter booty, use the slower winter months to experiment with new ways to prepare and use your veggies. “It’s a mistake to stick to just the traditional way of preparing something,” advises Torres. “Experiment with a new twist on an old favorite. For example, try pureeing vegetables such as cauliflower or turnips for a creamy soup base.
“More than just food on your plate, eating local year round connects you directly to the economic health of your community,” sums up Torres. “Supporting local agriculture goes beyond just food, it helps increase social justice by creating a food system that is fair and accessible to all.”
eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/01/five-tips-from-a-farmers%E2%80%99-market-manager-on-shopping-the-final-market/
standeyo.com/NEWS/09_Food_Water/091001.farmers.market.html
October 1, 2009
by Lisa Kivirist
Eat. Drink. Better.
The sustainability mantra may be “less is more,” but there’s one exception when buying more makes green sense: shopping the last farmers markets. If you’re not gardening and growing your own produce, your local farmers market serves as your easy connection to one-stop local fare shopping.
But as frosts linger and the cold winds start to blow, don’t punt and think your fresh local bounty will disappear till spring. With a little strategic shopping and planning, you can preserve a local meal focus all winter long by taking advantage of those last farmer’s markets.
Here’s another perk of eating local year round: you’re supporting the economic health of your community. Just ask Cindy Torres, manager of the Longmont Farmers Market outside Boulder, Colorado, and an IATP Food and Society Fellow. Passionate about using local food systems as a healthy economic development tool, Torres co-founded the Boulder County Food and Agriculture Policy Council to look at how her area can increase the local food supply to enhance the lives of community residents of all economic backgrounds.
“With a little bit of planning and preparation, we can readily eat local till the spring markets start up again,” explains Torres. Here are her favorite five tips:
1. Identify Your Needs
A simple but important first step, think about what it is you like to eat and use the most of and prioritize stocking up on those items. “There’s no point in buying something and never eating it,” Torres adds. Think potatoes, for example, as these are a basic staple in most family’s kitchen and easily store into the winter.
2. Assess Your Storage
“Take a look at what type of storage you have available at home since this will determine what and how much you should buy,” advises Torres. A basic dark basement that can keep relatively dry can serve as ideal storage for root crops through the spring. Storing potatoes in double brown grocery bags works well.
3. Think Dehydration
Limited on storage space? Try dehydrating as a space efficient food preservation technique. “Dehydrating also works great for stocking up on herbs,” adds Torres.
4. Gather Farmer Advice
“Ask the farmers at your market what varietals work best for storage,” Torres recommends. “Some tomatoes, for example, are better for canning while others are meant to be eaten fresh.”
5. Cook Up Winter Creativity
After you squirrel away your winter booty, use the slower winter months to experiment with new ways to prepare and use your veggies. “It’s a mistake to stick to just the traditional way of preparing something,” advises Torres. “Experiment with a new twist on an old favorite. For example, try pureeing vegetables such as cauliflower or turnips for a creamy soup base.
“More than just food on your plate, eating local year round connects you directly to the economic health of your community,” sums up Torres. “Supporting local agriculture goes beyond just food, it helps increase social justice by creating a food system that is fair and accessible to all.”
eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/10/01/five-tips-from-a-farmers%E2%80%99-market-manager-on-shopping-the-final-market/