Do your part: Buying in-season produce
Updated: 06/10/2012 01:36 PM
By: Terri Bennett
An easy and tasty way to Do Your Part at the grocery store, is to shop for in-season produce. Buying foods in-season means they aren’t shipped around the world to get to you and you’ll eat them at their freshest.
A Country of Origin Label will help you see exactly where your produce comes from. All fresh and frozen fruits and veggies are legally required to have them.
It’s also important for you to know what’s in season throughout the year.
For instance, blueberries, corn, and tomatoes are in season in the summer. In fall - look for broccoli, grapes, and pears. Winter’s harvest brings oranges, sweet potatoes, and grapefruit. And in spring, look for asparagus, limes, and even green beans.
The USDA also has a complete online guide to in-season produce and they have a search tool for you to find farmer’s markets and farm stands near you to get not just in-season foods but locally grown ones.
Buying in-season produce is also a good way to save money while you shop. It’s usually much less expensive than buying foods that have traveled the globe. Plus, you’ll be cutting out all the resources it takes to package and ship that food from so far away.
Buying food at it’s freshest is just another way to Do Your Part, and a tasty one.
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