Buy Local or Bye Local

I love the bounty of summer produce in the garden and at Farmers Markets! My Summer's resolution has been to grow or buy produce at the market, and I have also found in interesting twist to supplement these sources.

Previously I have been too cheap to pay a premium for market produce. But the realization in this contracting economy that we "vote with your dollars" compels me to keep my money in my community, and I have also realized that the difference between, say $1.49 per lb. in the supermarket and $3.99 per lb at the farmers market, really comes down to the difference of a dollar or two out of my pocket, in the small quantities I buy. A couple dollars is a small price to pay for an afternoon's entertainment at the market. In some cases I have even found that local is no more expensive than mass-produced, as in the case of milk. At the grocery store, that $2.50 milk comes all the way from Cleveland, Ohio, while at my neighborhood fruit stand, a gallon from Warden, WA is the same price. I just had to read the small print to discover the origin, and make an intention to buy at the fruit stand instead of the grocery store.

The new twists on farm and garden bounty are discoveries in the age of Groupon and Google. First is CSA, (community supported agriculture) or Farm Boxes. For a subscription, a farm will deliver a weekly box of produce to your door! I don't use enough to justify that on a weekly basis, but lo and behold, a Groupon for Full Circle Farm home delivery! http://www.fullcircle.com/

Several of my friends already use http://www.klesickfamilyfarm.com/

If growing your own is more your style, and you find yourself overflowing with bounty, you can donate your excess to your local food bank. Molbaks (Woodinville) hosts "Share Your Harvest", as a collection center for distribution to local food banks, sponsored by Hopelink www.molbaks.com/SYH2011.html Many community gardens (Pea Patches) do the same thing, if you don't have a green thumb or a garden plot, but wish to be involved. Here's an example from my local Pea patch
http://www.mukilteogarden.org/

So enjoy what Soul Food you can eke out from this 'summer' mother nature has given us this year.