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Local foods come straight from the producer
Growth Spurts
By Jim Jacenich
One advantage to buying produce at a farmers' market is that you are buying directly from the producer. Another advantage is the produce was probably picked the same day you bought it. Unlike a grocery store or other third-party vendor, you have a certain degree of certainty the food is fresh and local. Larger stores truck in fruits and produce from sometimes thousands of miles away, sometimes even continents away. The food is often processed to reduce spoilage, you have no way of determining how the food was grown, whether the workers were favorably treated, or whether it was grown today or a month ago.
Of course, part of the charm of buying food from a large grocer is that you can buy strawberries any time of year. Peaches can come from South America in the wintertime. And not all the fruits and vegetables we want can be grown locally - such as bananas and oranges. I like a plantain on occasion, not something I'm going to find growing nearby.
But recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of the retail grocery chain or the local farmers' market is only part of the decision making process of whether to buy local or from the store.
 | | Cindy Vrugtman of Hightown was the winner of the door prize at the Reduce, Re-Use, and Recycle Farmers' Market held at The Highland Center Pavilion on June 27. Vendor Lee Mitchell presented her with a sample of fresh produce from his garden. (Photo courtesy Highland Center) |
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A large grocery store can be impersonal; a farmers' market is anything but impersonal. A grocery chain might not be as interested in you or your community as the neighbor farmer who is growing corn for your table. The busy clerks at the supermarket might not have time to chat with you as the line backs up and the store manager stares down at them from the store office. Then again, even chain grocery stores go out of their way to appeal to their customers' tastes and preferences and to treat them as individuals, not just another wallet waiting to be plucked.
It's unlikely we can do without grocery stores entirely. But we can make a difference by informing our grocers of our preferences and tell them how we want to be treated.
 | | Sweet cherries! Local shopper Trish Pray is first in line to buy cherries from Highland Farmers' Market producer Bruce Folks. He should have more cherries on hand this week. (Recorder photo by James Jacenich) |
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My personal preference is to support local producers whenever possible. It's my community after all. Recycle the money here, support local families struggling under the same economy as the rest of us, and eat food grown under the same conditions as we live in.
It is possible to find a happy medium, to support the local economy and participate in the global economy as well.
It comes down to a matter of personal choice where and when you choose to shop. Local food growers want you to know they are vying for your food dollars and will provide the best product at the best price they can while at the same time satisfying your needs for good, nutritious food. Our local grocers also want your business and will work hard to satisfy your needs. My experience is that businesspeople, large or small, respond to what the customer wants, not the other way around.
 | | Fresh produce is a popular item at the Bath County Farmers' Market, now open every Saturday morning in Millboro Springs on the porch of Lickety Splits restaurant, which is making the space available to vendors. (Photo courtesy Donna Campagna) |
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For more information on local foods, one source online is www.eatlocalchallenge.com. This is one of many local foods advocacy groups online and in our communities that can help you learn more about the local foods movement. Another Web site supporting healthy food choices is www. sustainabletable.org.
Bath Farmers' Market Harmony Leonard, an organizer of the Bath farmers' market, shared her recipe for Mexican-spiced summer squash.
"Last week we had summer squash, zucchini, and patty pan squash at the market," Leonard says. "We can count on them being available for a few more weeks. So what to do with them? Here is a good recipe that would work for all three.
"I consider a recipe a jumping off point," she says. "I look at the ingredients and change things up to suit my taste. Personally I don't care much for cilantro so I would leave it out. I have jalapenos in my garden right now so I would probably mince one or two and add it to this recipe when I was sautéing the onion and garlic."
Mexican-Spiced Summer Squash Serves 4
1 cup diced onion , 2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin powder , ½ teaspoon oregano
1 ½ teaspoons chili powder , 4 cups sliced squash, 2 tablespoons vegetable broth . Sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste . Chopped cilantro, if desired.
"Saute the onion 'till it is soft," says Leonard. " Add the garlic and spices (if you are using fresh oregano wait 'til the last five minutes of cooking) and sauté for another minute. Add the squash and vegetable broth. Cook 'til the squash is tender. Taste and add more seasonings, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.
"I use fresh herbs when I cook," Leonard says. "I use 3-4 times as much fresh as the recipe calls for dry. Be sure to mince the fresh herbs very small and add them during the last five minutes of cooking. If you add fresh herbs to a recipe too soon the heat will cook the flavor out. You just can't beat the flavor fresh herbs add to a dish."
The Bath farmers' market is open every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon until Oct. 11. It is under the porch at the Lickety Splits restaurant near the intersection of Routes 39 and 42.
Call (540) 997-0239 for more information.
Highland Farmers'
Market
Farmers' market coordinator Scott Smith reports that Lee Mitchell hopes to have peas, potatoes, lettuce and eggs at the Highland Farmers' market this Friday. Bruce Folks hopes to bring lettuce, sweet onions, kale, mustard greens, radishes, beets, broccoli, sweet cherries, cucumbers, squash, blueberries, baked goods, maple products and candy. John and Darlene Hoy of DJ's Whiteway in Churchville promised to bring a large assortment of homemade breads, cakes, pies, cookies and snacks. Darwin King will be back with a pickup load of straw and Melissa Moyers hopes to have breads, sticky buns, key lime pies, peach cobblers, and maybe a few cookies.
The Highland farmers' market is at The Highland Center Farmers' Market Pavilion on Spruce Street, Monterey and is open from 3:30-6 p.m. every Friday this summer. For more information on the Highland Farmers' Market email farmersmarket@ htcnet.org or call (540) 468-1922.
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