How to Bring the Farm to Your Table this Year

With February on it's way out, and March right around the bend, change is in the air. March is an interesting month. We are on the tail end of winter and spring is just around the bend. You can consider March to be an “in between” month. You can still feel the winds of winter, but as the days slowly warm up, it serves as a reminder that spring is on the way. For many, the winds of change can encourage those to live a more nutritious lifestyle. While some may struggle with this concept, eating a well-rounded diet is the key to proper nutrition, and it’s easier than you think. In fact, spring is a great time to start your own get-healthy routine, and there’s no better time than now. Especially since March is National Nutrition Month, right now is the perfect time to put some ‘spring’ into your health.

Luckily we are blessed to be surrounded by bountiful farms here in Long Island, which makes it easy to bring local produce to your kitchen table. As winter comes to a close, spring brings with it a plentiful harvest of delicious fruits and vegetables for you and your family to enjoy, and March is the perfect month to start thinking about how you can add more locally grown foods to your families menu. Plus, buying locally grown foods can benefit your local community, the local economy, and even your health.

You may not be aware of the benefits of eating locally grown produce, but there are a plethora of reasons for why you should. With the emergence of local farmers markets, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be eating locally. Check out some of the benefits of eating locally sourced produce.

1. Local food isn’t just fresher, but it tastes better than what you typically find at the grocery store.
2. Fresh food lasts longer since it wasn’t harvested weeks or months ago. Do you even know how long it took for that apple to get to the grocery store?
3. Did you know that fresh piece of fruit contains more nutrients than what you typically find at the grocery store? That’s because as soon as you pick produce, they begin to lose their nutrients.
4. Knowing where your food came from and the farmer who grew it can help promote food safety and limit the chances of contamination.
5. Looking to minimize your food’s environmental impact? Buy local, and your food won’t have to travel thousands of miles.

So, are you ready to eat locally? If so, learn more about your local New York and Long Island farmers markets by checking out this interactive map:

https://data.ny.gov/Economic-Development/Farmers-Markets-in-New-York-State-Map/gfni-eg8a

Check out some of my other photography on my Instagram page! https://www.instagram.com/dana_seims_photography/

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