It’s Summer – Let’s Eat!

Question: What’s so great about Maryland in the summer?
Answer: The Food, of course!

Summer in Maryland can best be described with three words: Hot, Humid and Colorful. We may be wilting from the heat during the day and battling King Kong mosquitoes at night – but we’re laughing through the haze as we devour the local flavor. Summer has yet again blessed us with a cornucopia of vibrant, savory foods from local farmers.

Your local Farmers’ Market is overflowing with red, pink and yellow tomatoes, green and yellow squash, green beans, cucumbers, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, cherries and more! How about fresh free-range eggs or chickens, or some organic, grass-fed beef? And let us not neglect – the seafood! Catch the end of the blue crab season or indulge in freshly caught fish. Stock up on those fresh herbs: basil and thyme, oregano and sage.

Why buy and eat local foods? First of all, it just tastes better! It’s fresh, crisp and flavorful right out of the garden – and the nutrients pack the greatest wallop then, too! Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly, so once it’s been on a truck for a week it’s barely worth eating. Local farmers also plant more varieties of vegetables, because different strands are harvested at different times. This preserves the genetic diversity of our food, rather than settling for the one variety that produces well, withstands every hardship, and is able to be mechanically harvested without damage.

Buying local foods supports endangered family farms. Vow to spend just $8-$10 a week on local foods, and you’ll make a significant impact on your local economy and your neighborhood farmers. Talk with your local farmers at CSA’s (community supported agriculture) and Farmer’s Markets. These folks have a wealth of information that they’re happy to share – just ask! Easy recipes, information about a vegetable you’ve never tried, storage techniques: they’ll have answers!

Buying locally also reduces your own carbon footprint, as most food is transported an average of 1300 miles before it graces your table. Now let your mind envision the large, powerful corporations that make the storage and transport of your food possible. Should your precious food dollars support these environmental nightmares or might they be better used supporting your local community?

I know….it’s work. It means changing our routine and our entire thought process about our daily bread. We’ve all been sucked into believing the television commercials – that eating the processed, packaged food from South America gives us more time and allows us to live the American Dream.

But let’s review where that dream has led us. As a Nation we’re grossly overweight and pathetically unhealthy. Diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are common afflictions leading to our support of another mega-industry – pharmaceutical. (don’t worry, that’s a rant for another day). In our grandparents generation families gathered in the kitchen and at the table – and talked as they prepared and enjoyed their foods. Today we collapse in front of the television, usually in different rooms. Something’s missing.

It’s time to re-think the American Dream.

It’s time to nourish and care for:
- our bodies
- our families
- our communities
- our nation
- our world

We can’t do everything at once – but we can commit to gradual, consistent change. For now, let’s start by buying – and eating - a few local food products each week. Go to your local Farmers’ Market or Amish Marketplace. Discover the indescribable taste of quality and freshness. Your world – and your health – may never be the same.