If you live in New England, you have been waiting a LONG time for the warm weather and sun to shine. It’s finally time to get outside, get grilling, and enjoy all fresh, local fruits and vegetables that are in season!
I am growing some of my favorite fruits and vegetables in the garden, but they aren’t quite ready yet. The good news is, there are tons of local farmers markets, wherever you live, that can provide seasonal produce at a great price! To check out farmers markets near you, use this great Massachusetts Farm Locator;
https://massnrc.org/farmlocator/map.aspx?Type=Farmers%20Markets
Now that we have access to so much produce year round, why shop seasonally? There are quite a few benefits to choosing vegetables and fruits that are in their prime growing season;
- They are cheaper! It costs more money to transport produce overseas, then it does to transport down the street to your local market.
- They taste better! Foods picked in their peak and eaten sooner after picking look and taste fresher. I don’t know about you but I don’t even touch tomatoes outside of summer season because the sweetness and crunch of tomatoes from my summer garden is just too good.
- They pack more nutrition! After picking, your produce actually starts to lose nutrients. The longer we wait after picking to eat them, the more nutrients are lost when they make it to your plate.
So dive in, enjoy all the local farmers markets your area has to offer, or just buy seasonal produce at your local grocery store.