Eat Local Tips - Making the Shift from Import-Based to Homegrown
With every food purchase you are making a choice. Sourcing anything locally is a step in the right direction, especially if you would never have thought to do so before. Check out the Creston Valley Farm Fresh Guide.
Be conscious of the source of your food. A good start would be getting to know some of the vendors at your local farmer's market.
Check out Creston's community greenhouse. The community greenhouse not only offers a truly inexpensive program for starting garden seeds, but also offers involvement in a variety of food security initiatives that keep Creston fed!
Planting a garden? Grow an extra row and donate produce to the Food Bank or a person with limited access to fresh, local food.
Check into Community Supported Agriculture, a partnership between consumer and producer that supplies cash for operating expenses to the farmer and a share in what s/he harvests.
Grown an herb garden! Herbs such as parsley can easily be grown in your garden or in a pot on a sunny windowsill.
Tired of cutting the lawn? Replace some of it with a vegetable garden, herb garden, or fruit- or nut-bearing shrubs or trees and truly enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labour.
Ask local food suppliers, restaurants, and school and hospital cafeterias to offer local produce. Consumer demand for local foods creates new markets for local farmers.
Advocate for government policies that make local food production and access a priority.
Fresh, local food may sometimes carry a higher price tag but price alone does not determine the real cost of food. Consider intangibles such as the nutritional value, environmental impact, agricultural policies and employment practices that make up the cost of the food you are purchasing.
Reduce costs and enhance your food story by picking your own fruits and vegetables at any of several Creston valley u-pick operations.
If you plan ahead purchasing and preserving local foods can significantly reduce your overall food costs. Buy fewer convenience foods which are generally more expensive, excessively packaged, and less nutritious than food you can prepare fresh at home.
Many farms and orchards are dependent on migrant workers to bring in the harvest. Try to get to know a few - they're part of your local food story.
Enhance your local eating with a little local exercise - walk or cycle to the farmer's market or farm gate, or hike up one of the valley's mountains and behold the bounty and beauty below. In the Creston valley you can eat the view.
Seasonal eating can be an adventure, so don't be afraid to try new things. Learn how to substitute local foods, such as honey for sugar, or a local herb blend instead of salt as a way of incorporating new, healthier foods into your diet.
Composting is easy, saves valuable landfill space and tax dollars, and provides free organic fertilizer. Learn how with books from the public library or check out www.howtocompost.org.
Preparing local foods requires additional time and effort, but the superior natural quality of local foods allows almost anyone to prepare really good food at home. Home preparation of raw foods saves money, particularly compared with convenience foods, which makes healthy food affordable for almost anyone who can and will prepare them from scratch, regardless of income.
Eat locally together - share local foods and recipes with friends and neighbours. Cook together, then eat together, or start a 'local foods supper club'.
Seasons for locally-grown foods can be short so organize time for bulk cooking and preserving. Consider when certain foods appear, time requirements for food processing and preservation, and monthly or weekly meal planning.
With the Creston valley's hot and dry summer climate, a solar food dehydrator is an inexpensive, effective, and energy efficient way to dry local fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Check out the public library or the internet for how-tos.
Trying to preserve a little bit of everything can be overwhelming with short-season foods. Organize with friends and neighbours to each preserve lots of one thing then get together to share and exchange.
The Creston valley has such an abundance of fresh produce that some of it goes to waste, yet there are people in our community who, for varying reasons, have limited access to fresh, local produce. If you have garden or orchard surplus please contact the Creston Valley Gleaners Society Food Bank.
Eating locally isn't just a summer treat. Local foods such as apples, squash, eggs, honey and nuts can be enjoyed throughout the winter. And of course preserved (canned, dried, frozen) foods can be savoured year round.
Extend your access to fresh produce by employing 'root cellar' techniques which may not require an actual root cellar. The public library is an excellent resource for various food storage and preservation options.