We hope
you will join us this Thursday at the Village Commons for another great
Pathfinder Produce market, from 2 to 5 p.m. Our 5210 Hoop House products
are freshly picked and oh so good!
****
The seasons
are starting to change, with the nights becoming cooler and hints of orange and
scarlet stealing into the crowns of our majestic maple trees. There's one
in front of the Pathfinder Village Inn that starts to turn early each year,
reminding me of the urgency to finish my summer work and to look to
preparations for winter.
But it’s also
the best time of year for eating fresh foods ... there are many places to buy
just-picked local produce and savor the best flavors possible. In my
opinion, fresh veggies like this need very little preparation or seasoning
because they already are so flavorful. There's nothing like the crisp
coolness of an emerald green cucumber, the juiciness of deep red beefsteak
tomatoes, or the sweet steaminess of fresh butter-and-sugar corn. (Corn
does not need to be doused in butter and salt to taste great, especially if it
just brought in from the cornfield).
The social
movement for eating local, seasonal foods is gaining more attention, and
nationally more menus are using more locally grown produce in school meals.
(Explore the National Farm to School Website to learn more.) The idea is that if you
"eat local" you are supporting your area gardeners and farmers, there
is less cost associated with processing, containers, and storage, and there's a
significant reduction in the amount of fossil fuels that must be used to
transport produce from growing regions to final destinations. The
non-profit organization National Resources Defense Council offers some advice
about eating local and how to choose foods wisely at its website.
The NRDC web
says that on average, our food travels over 1500 miles to get to your plate.
This means that fruits and vegetables have to be shipped in an un-ripened
state, so that they have a longer shelf-life when they get to the grocery
aisle. Because locally grown and sold produce is picked when it is ready,
chefs gravitate towards using these fruits and vegetables more because they
taste better and they help keep regional food traditions alive. The NRDC
has a Eat Local food widget you can access to determine what produce
items are in season in your area.
Eating
locally also means eating seasonally, an idea I first read of in Helen and
Scott Nearing's classic guide to homesteading, The Good Life, in
which a New York City couple move “back to the land” in New England and develop
a self-sustaining lifestyle. If you have never read the book, I highly
recommend it as it shows how people may reconnect with agriculture and live
more in tune with nature’s cycles.
Until next
time, be well, and enjoy all the great produce that this season of bounty
provides.
Lori
