Farmers' Markets
Our demand for out-of-season foods all year round creates "food miles" which means
that foods travel literally from across the other side of the world to appear in
our local supermarkets. This results in huge transportation costs, threatens local
farmers' livelihoods, and adds to the problems of pollution from air and road travel.
There is also potential for exploitation of third world countries as we strive to
find cheaper and cheaper produce. In terms of health, foods are often picked before
they are ripe and before they have reached their peak for nutrient content. Some
foods are stored for many weeks, further depleting nutrient content.
Do we really need apples from far-flung nations when we have hundreds of wonderful
English varieties? (Brogdale.org). Do we really need to have strawberries in October
that taste so vastly inferior to our home-grown crops which peak in June?
Many people are rejecting the concept of 'cheap food', available 24 hours a day,
all year round, as they discover the many hidden costs to this way of living. There
is ultimately a cost to pay in terms of your pocket, your health and the environment.
A good way forward is to buy from your local farmers' market. Farmers' markets are
gradually increasing in number and provide fresh, locally-grown produce in season.
A typical farmers' market contains not only quality fruits and vegetables but also
breads, meats, cheeses, eggs, honey, herbs. There are often unusual foods such as
ostrich eggs or meats from rare-breed animals and buffalo milk cheese. Because everything
is grown locally and picked in season, this means fresher, tastier foods with a high
nutrient content from produce harvested at its peak.
