The average mouthful of food travels 1,300 miles from farm to factory to warehouse to supermarket to our plates. In comparison, food available from local farms is almost always fresher, tastier and closer to ripeness. Buying local products also supports growers in your region, thereby preserving farming near where you live, and requiring less energy for transport. Since the production of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables is more economical if the farmers have outlets for their produce nearby, local marketing should be encouraged. And, because it isn't being shipped long distances, local food is less likely to have been treated with post-harvest pesticides.
Frozen foods retain much of their nutritional content, in addition to cutting energy costs.
Call your state's Department of Agriculture for a free seasonal harvest calendar for your area. Buy organically produced food Organically grown means that the food has been grown in a practical, ecological partnership with nature. Generally, organic food is minimally processed to maintain its integrity without artificial ingredients, preservatives or irradiation. Organic certification is the public's guarantee that the product has been grown and handled according to strict procedures without synthetic chemical inputs. Look for a certified organic label whenever buying organic food.