As we shift into the first full month of spring, it’s the perfect time to think about all of the delicious and nutritious foods that we’ll be harvesting in the coming months. The greenhouse is full of tiny seedlings and the farmers are prepping and planting in the fields – the first harvests are so close, we can almost taste it! Eating fruits and veggies can positively influence your health no matter their source; but eating foods that are grown close to home can make an even bigger nutritional impact and help people better understand where their food really comes from!

Is locally-grown produce more nourishing than what I buy at the grocery store?

In short, YES! If you’ve ever tasted a tomato grown in your summer garden or at a local farm, you know that they taste quite different from the pale, bland ones spotted at your average grocery stores. For the most part, the fruits, veggies, and herbs that you see at grocery stores are shipped from other states or even other countries. In order for your produce to be ripe when it hits store shelves, it is often harvested long before it is actually ready to be harvested.

One of the reasons that the delicious tomato you ate from your own backyard is so tasty is because it had time to ripen on the vine where nutrients are continually released into the fruit. Pick it too soon, and it’s just…lacking! When produce bound for grocery stores needs to be harvested way in advance and ripened artificially, not only is the flavor lessened, but so are the vitamins and minerals that your body needs to be healthy. Apply this concept to all of your produce and just think about all of the flavor and nutrients that you could be getting from your local organic or pesticide-free farm!

Best of all, it’s not just your body that feels the benefits. Buying local food promotes positive environmental practices, like reduced CO2 emissions and regenerative farming, and supports your local economy. Ultimately, no matter what food sources you choose to support, every dollar you spend is a vote. So…how do you want to cast your vote?

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Here’s a GREAT way to vote that supports the local food system, gets more nutritious food on your plate, and connects you directly to the source of your veggies: Join Oxbow’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program! 

What do CSA Shareholders get?

• 20 weeks of nutritious certified organic vegetables from June 26th through November 6th, 2019
• FREE U-Pick flowers & herbs
• Access to U-Pick berries, orchard fruit, sugar snap peas, green beans, and tomatoes
• And more!

Best of all, you get the flexibility and choice to take home whatever your household needs that week. Skip the lettuce if you’re all stocked up, or grab extra carrots if you need ’em. The whole season is an investment of $550, which shakes out to just $27.50 a week for the freshest fruit and veggies imaginable. Check out all the details of the program and sign up here.

If a CSA doesn’t work for you, you can also find Oxbow veggies at select PCC stores and at Central Co-op, both great Seattle-area stores that focus on supporting local farms like Oxbow – see some of our other grocery and restaurant partners here.

We hope you have a healthy, happy season of eating more locally-grown foods!