It's Saturday morning and while most people are still in bed, farmers across the country have already loaded up their trucks and headed into town. Many communities across the country have farmer's markets on select days of the week, and no time is more popular than Saturday morning. Find farmer's markets in your neighborhood here.
While farmer's markets are great, especially for the local farmer, there are a couple of things to be aware of before you rush off and fill your bags with produce.
1. Just because something is available at the local farmer's market, doesn't mean it was grown locally. To me, this came as a complete shock, and turned me off from farmer's markets for awhile. I went one week and saw some locally grown vegetables, but the grapes were from ChÃle and the melons were from Honduras. If I wanted fruit imported from South and Central America, I'd just go to the grocery store. Make sure you're looking for labels as to where the food is grown. Most farmers will go out of their way to advertise that their food is local, so if you don't see a sign that says locally grown, that should be a bit of a red flag.
2. Just because something is available at the local farmer's market, doesn't mean it was grown organically. For a multitude of reasons, I feel that organic produce is the best thing going. The difference in taste between the organic and non-organic is astronomical. The environmental benefits of organic farming are well documented, as is the harm associated to the environment associated with excessive fertilizer and pesticide application at non-organic farms. The nutritional content in organic produce is also better in organic foods.
3. That said, just because it's not organic, doesn't mean it's terrible for you, especially if it's local. The process and paperwork required to obtain the Organic status from the USDA is very extensive and expensive. If the farm is small, the profit margin is likely razor thin. For the farmer to risk major losses by going through the certified organic process may not make sense. But by talking to the farmer, you may find that his or her produce is every bit as organic as those labeled organic, and it's probably cheaper, too.
And even if it's not completely organic, the argument can be made that local non-organic is as good or better than organic produce grown across the country, or in another country, that has to be shipped hundreds or thousands of miles to get to you.
4. You can shake the hand that grows your food. To me, the biggest pro about shopping at a farmer's market is that you can talk with the farmer and learn how difficult farming really is. I've never met a farmer that I got a bad vibe from. They are all just people trying to earn a modest living and provide for their families. By building that relationship with the farmers in your area, you provide valuable feedback and encouragement for them to keep doing what they are doing. Starting a farm is a scary adventure, but knowing that you have a loyal customer base helps to limit the anxiety. Also, you are likely to find that farmers, like any good business, aim to please. By building a positive relationship with your farmer, you may be able to request new crops for the farmer to grow that you enjoy. In any event, getting to know the farmers at the farmer's market is one of the best parts of shopping there.
5. Farmer's markets are good for everyone involved. Bottom line, if a farmer can't make enough money to live, he or she has to get out of the business. By selling goods at a farmer's market, farmers are often able to get a better cost than by selling them wholesale. And while the farmer is able to get a better price for his or her goods, the consumer also gets a better deal. By buying direct from the farmer, you are able to get a better price than you can find in the grocery store.
So on this Saturday morning, put your coffee in a to-go cup, slap on some SPF, and head down to farmer's market for some delicious, fresh, and healthy local produce!
Showing posts with label Groceries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Groceries. Show all posts
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Get Fit or Go Broke--Part II
Yesterday, we looked at the financial strain that obesity causes for those that struggle with their weight. If you missed that post, you can find it here. Today, we look at how you can fight the battle of the bulge on a tight budget, both in terms of diet and exercise. So without further ado....
Eating healthy on a budget isn't as easy as it should be, but it is far from impossible. The biggest obstacle to overcome affects those that shop with coupons and BOGO type deals at the local grocery store. Big agriculture and big food producers are always offering coupons and deals on their food products, and most of the time these products are of the highly processed variety. As foods become processed, their nutritional value decreases. Therefore, when you consume overly processed foods, you get far less nutritional value for your money. With that in mind, spending a little more money shopping the outsides of the store (where you typically find your fresh meat, dairy, and produce) actually provides you with more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients per dollar than shopping the inside of the store and chasing the deals. If you're willing to spend a few pennies more to shop the organic parts of the store, the health benefits are even greater.
There is no arguing that shopping for the most healthy foods in a grocery store will cost you more than shopping the aisles for hamburger helper and microwavable meals, but that isn't the only way to eat healthy. More and more cities and towns across the country are having weekly (or even daily) farmer's markets, where farmers from the area can sell their products directly to you, the consumer. This works out great for all parties involved, as farmers can often charge a few cents more than they would get for their produce from the food manufacturers, and the consumer can get farm fresh produce way cheaper than you can find it at any grocery store. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms are also rapidly popping up around the country. In a CSA farm, many people buy shares of the farm's produce prior to the growing season, and then share in the harvest weekly or bi-weekly. A great advantage of a CSA is that you are constantly receiving fresh produce, and often times you may get some crops that you would never have bought on your own. My wife and I joined a CSA for the first time this year, and we have learned that some veggies, like beets, aren't as bad as we once thought. Never would have even tried beets if we didn't have a few of them in our bag one week from the farm, but since we had already paid for them, we weren't going to let them go to waste.
Another way to save on your grocery bill while improving on the quality of the food you eat is to find a farmer in your area that raises meat animals to be butchered and sold to individuals. Oftentimes, especially if you are dealing with a beef farmer, you can buy portions of a cow so that you don't have to find a way to store hundreds of pounds of meat at one time. Again, my wife and I have a couple of farmers in the area that we use, one for eggs and chickens, the other for beef and pork. The great thing about both of these farmers is that they raise their animals on the pasture, meaning they have access to fresh grass daily and aren't confined to a feed lot with hundreds of other animals in a confined space. They also eat foods that are natural to them, instead of all grain diets of many factory meat farms, and therefore the meat is much lower in fat and has a much higher nutritional value.
Click here to find CSAs, farmers markets, individual farmers, and other sources of local fresh meat and produce in your area. And remember, even if the price isn't significantly cheaper than what you find in the store, the quality is usually so much higher. You'll eat less food while getting a higher nutritional value, which is good for both the waistline and the wallet.
Just as with nutrition, exercise doesn't have to break the bank either. Every one of us has access to one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment ever created, the human body. Even the most highly trained and fit people in the world can get a great workout using nothing but their own body weight to train with. Whether its running and doing plyometric exercises for those in excellent shape, or walking and doing push-ups, the body provides all you need to change they way it looks and feels. Of course, if you are willing to spend a little bit of money to add variety and additional options to your fitness program, that may help you reach your goals faster or keep you from getting bored. But the amount you spend on exercise is completely up to you, and spending all the money in the world doesn't help you achieve your goals any faster than spending no money but having an iron will to make the necessary changes to your lifestyle.
Ultimately, everyone has the power and the resources to improve their health by changing their diet and increasing the amount of physical activity they get. For more information on getting fit without going broke, email me at dkfitsolutions@gmail.com and we can figure out the way that works best for your needs and your budget.
Eating healthy on a budget isn't as easy as it should be, but it is far from impossible. The biggest obstacle to overcome affects those that shop with coupons and BOGO type deals at the local grocery store. Big agriculture and big food producers are always offering coupons and deals on their food products, and most of the time these products are of the highly processed variety. As foods become processed, their nutritional value decreases. Therefore, when you consume overly processed foods, you get far less nutritional value for your money. With that in mind, spending a little more money shopping the outsides of the store (where you typically find your fresh meat, dairy, and produce) actually provides you with more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients per dollar than shopping the inside of the store and chasing the deals. If you're willing to spend a few pennies more to shop the organic parts of the store, the health benefits are even greater.
There is no arguing that shopping for the most healthy foods in a grocery store will cost you more than shopping the aisles for hamburger helper and microwavable meals, but that isn't the only way to eat healthy. More and more cities and towns across the country are having weekly (or even daily) farmer's markets, where farmers from the area can sell their products directly to you, the consumer. This works out great for all parties involved, as farmers can often charge a few cents more than they would get for their produce from the food manufacturers, and the consumer can get farm fresh produce way cheaper than you can find it at any grocery store. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms are also rapidly popping up around the country. In a CSA farm, many people buy shares of the farm's produce prior to the growing season, and then share in the harvest weekly or bi-weekly. A great advantage of a CSA is that you are constantly receiving fresh produce, and often times you may get some crops that you would never have bought on your own. My wife and I joined a CSA for the first time this year, and we have learned that some veggies, like beets, aren't as bad as we once thought. Never would have even tried beets if we didn't have a few of them in our bag one week from the farm, but since we had already paid for them, we weren't going to let them go to waste.
Another way to save on your grocery bill while improving on the quality of the food you eat is to find a farmer in your area that raises meat animals to be butchered and sold to individuals. Oftentimes, especially if you are dealing with a beef farmer, you can buy portions of a cow so that you don't have to find a way to store hundreds of pounds of meat at one time. Again, my wife and I have a couple of farmers in the area that we use, one for eggs and chickens, the other for beef and pork. The great thing about both of these farmers is that they raise their animals on the pasture, meaning they have access to fresh grass daily and aren't confined to a feed lot with hundreds of other animals in a confined space. They also eat foods that are natural to them, instead of all grain diets of many factory meat farms, and therefore the meat is much lower in fat and has a much higher nutritional value.
Click here to find CSAs, farmers markets, individual farmers, and other sources of local fresh meat and produce in your area. And remember, even if the price isn't significantly cheaper than what you find in the store, the quality is usually so much higher. You'll eat less food while getting a higher nutritional value, which is good for both the waistline and the wallet.
Just as with nutrition, exercise doesn't have to break the bank either. Every one of us has access to one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment ever created, the human body. Even the most highly trained and fit people in the world can get a great workout using nothing but their own body weight to train with. Whether its running and doing plyometric exercises for those in excellent shape, or walking and doing push-ups, the body provides all you need to change they way it looks and feels. Of course, if you are willing to spend a little bit of money to add variety and additional options to your fitness program, that may help you reach your goals faster or keep you from getting bored. But the amount you spend on exercise is completely up to you, and spending all the money in the world doesn't help you achieve your goals any faster than spending no money but having an iron will to make the necessary changes to your lifestyle.
Ultimately, everyone has the power and the resources to improve their health by changing their diet and increasing the amount of physical activity they get. For more information on getting fit without going broke, email me at dkfitsolutions@gmail.com and we can figure out the way that works best for your needs and your budget.
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