Harvesting Green

     With the summer temperatures cooling down, Arizona’s Farmer’s Markets are just heating up.  As Helena Horberg-Hodge observes in her commentary about locally grown foods, “A key feature of local food systems is that ‘food miles’ are relatively low.  This means that local foods use far less energy, and produce less pollution and greenhouse gases than food from the global system.”  Although it may be convenient to be able to buy grapes any time of the year, is it really worth the convenience if those grapes have been flown in from Chile?  Probably not.   

Besides, buying fresh, crisp local produce supports Arizona’s farmers.  The Worldwatch Institute hosted a great discussion about the merits and complexities of farmers’ markets.

     

Farmers’ markets are cropping up throughout Arizona this time of year.  To find a market in your area, check out this locator.  Arizona’s October crops include peppers, summer squash, tomatoes and watermelon, to name just a few. 

To have farm picked produce delivered almost on your doorstep, join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group.  By paying a subscription fee to a CSA, you become a partner in the farm.  This fee entitles you to a weekly share of the seasonal goods from the farm.  Crooked Sky Farms is one such CSA.  They grow produce in several fields in Valley and deliver to drop off locations in Tucson, Flagstaff, Prescott, Phoenix and Tempe.

Here’s one farmer talking about the benefits of CSA: 

  

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