Local produce time at farmer’s markets

It’s that wonderful time of year again when fresh food enters our homes within hours or even minutes of being harvested. The tastes are amazing and the quality is fantastic.

If you aren’t growing a garden this year, don’t despair. There will be plenty of opportunity to sink your teeth into cantaloupe harvested the same day it was purchased. The East Center St Farmers Market is open every Friday 4 p.m- 8 p.m., June through September, and full of locally grown fruits and vegetables accompanied by fun activities and friendly people.

Supporting our local farmers market helps put good food on our tables and strengthens our community ties, as well. It’s a great place to talk to growers, learn new ways to store and prepare fresh foods, and sample lesser known fruits and vegetables. If you have children, be sure to bring them along. Let them pick out something new to try for a meal or snack, then let them help prepare it

The extension of this farmers market is the Great Basin Basket Farmshare. This is Churchill County’s own agricultural gem, where you subscribe to a weekly or bi-weekly delivery of produce grown by local farmers May - September. For details and to sign up see www.fallonfoodhub.com

Having been on both sides of the local food movement, both the consuming and the growing, I can say firsthand that there is a lot of heart and soul going into this work for you to experience and enjoy!

I sometimes hear people say that eating fresh produce is too expensive. It’s actually pretty cheap when compared to the potential cost of a chronic disease. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes filling half our plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and snack in response to overwhelming evidence that something this simple can lead to a decreased chance of developing heart disease, Type II diabetes, obesity and certain types of cancers. This simple act as well as purchasing a good pair of sneakers for walking could be considered an investment expense, practically speaking.

One way to lessen the expense, of course, is to grow some of your own. For centuries, and still today in many cultures, ‘locally grown’ has meant having a few plants of kale, spinach, or lettuce during the winter growing along the south side of the foundation of your home. These constantly producing plants put a bowl of greens in your kitchen each week. When summer comes, a few warm weather vegetables are added, like peppers or a tomato plant. With minimal space and time you can make a dent in your produce bill.

Improve the quality and quantity of your life one delicious step at a time!

Your comments in response to this article are welcome – send them to coblentzdebra@gmail.com.