If you are lucky enough to live in an area that has lots of local, organic vegetables and fruit, you are getting the cream of the crop. But for most of us, this is not the case. Not all organic food is local, and not all locally-grown food is organic.
Numerous studies show that organically produced foods (produce, dairy, meat) have a higher nutritional content than foods conventionally produced.
So what is organic?Well, it's more than just the elimination of synthetic chemicals, organic farmers use practices that ensure the land is being treated in a way that continually improves soil fertility by using the tools that nature provides.
However, one of the major downsides to purchasing organic is that most of the produce is coming from out of country - avocadoes from Mexico, apples from New Zealand, mangos from Ecuador.
The further your produce travels, the less fresh it is and the greater impact it has on the environment (think about the CO2 emissions).
For these reasons, a lot of people are trying to purchase local products when available.
The 100 Mile diet has made eating local a hot new trend, which not only supports your community, but gives you the chance to meet your local farmers and see firsthand how your food is being grown.
Many smaller farms avoid the tools of industrialized conventional agriculture and may be producing food that meets many of the organic requirements, but are not actually certified.
Farmer's markets make it possible for suburban and urban households to eat well. Fresh product is on your table within days of being harvested, as opposed to weeks in conventional grocery stores.
Studies show that this helps maintain the nutrients in the foods you eat, because they are not lost through processing or shipping.
Some seasonal foods may be less well known, but are just as easy to cook with.
Having access to fresh product may open your eyes to a vegetable or fruit you didn't like before or you were terrified of. Vendors can give you ideas of how to prepare things and many have recipes they would be willing to share.
There are many ways to change your favourite recipes to take advantage of the fresh ingredients that can be found at the market.
So the question still remains... local or organic? It may depend on what is available at your local farmer's market, what season it is, or how much you know about your local farmer and your own principles.
Squamish Farmer's Market recipe
Most people find that eating pasta in the summer is just too heavy; here's a way to change it up, using fresh ingredients from the Farmer's Market:
Instead of noodles, use a peeler to slice up zucchini into flat noodles, then slice into strips; boil for about 1 min in salted water, then blanch to stop the cooking process (one medium zucchini per person should be enough).
Using fresh basil; make a pesto with pine nuts, garlic and parmesan; toss with the noodles, then add more Parmesan.
This is a great, light summer meal that takes advantage of some of your fresh, market finds.
