locally grown produce

There you are, at the grocery store or farmer’s market, perusing the fresh fruits and vegetables and wondering: Is this locally grown produce?

Even at a farmer’s market or local produce market, the fruits and vegetables you are buying may not be locally grown produce. After all, not all fruits and veggies can be grown where you live, but farmers and grocers want their customers to have a great shopping and eating experience.

So how can you tell if your produce is locally grown? Here are some things you can do. Read on:

Ask if it’s locally grown produce

If you are shopping at a small farmer’s market or produce market, it’s a simple thing to do to determine if the food you are about to purchase is locally grown. You can just ask the grocer! Many grocers and sellers love to talk about their goods, and they want you – the consumer – to know where your food is coming from. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions – or request that they carry Fresh Forward products!

Season

If you are buying tomatoes in the Midwest in the winter months, chances are … they aren’t from your area. Of course, some farmers continue to grow produce hydroponically, so you could be eating a locally grown fruit or vegetable, but if the season is off for the produce you are buying, it’s a safe bet to say it’s probably not locally grown.

Learn

Locally grown may not mean the same thing to you as it means to a grocer or farmer, so educate yourself on what local means – to you and to local sellers. For some, local means the seller grew his or her wares. To others, it means it grew down the road or a few towns over. And for some, it can mean it grew in the state you are in. There’s no right or wrong; just nuances.

Shop small

The truth is, the smaller the shop the better the chance is that the food you are buying is locally grown. So, if local food is important to you, seek out and support small grocers, farm stands and markets and even Community Supporting Agriculture programs (CSAs).

That way, you can interact with the people who grow and sell your food, and you can eat with confidence that you are eating locally grown foods. Fresh Forward not only supports local farmers – we support local and national retailers.

Fresh Forward

At Fresh Forward, feeding families is our passion. We work with local farmers to get the best, and freshest, produce in on your family’s table. Ask your favorite grocery store, farm stand or produce market to carry Fresh Forward products.

Learn more about the Fresh Forward mission here.