The Benefits from Buying Locally Grown Produce
This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however, all opinions expressed are my own.
With such a small garden at my home, I don’t have the space to grow what I would like to put in my freezer. But, no need to worry since I live in Florida and I know there will be plenty of fresh veggies and fruit to choose from. I prepare my calendar and patiently wait for all the emails telling me its time to visit our local farms and pick all the Fresh from Florida produce we can carry home.
But there are times when I can’t go pick my own produce and prefer to go to my local grocery store. The beginning of the year in Central Florida is the best time to purchase so much fresh produce. I love to shop at Publix because I know their shelves will be stocked with Fresh from Florida produce locally grown.
Almost a fourth of my local Publix is produce with fresh veggies and fruit. Not only this time of the year but most of the year from our local farmers.
I have several varieties of lettuce in my garden right now and look at all the different varieties of tomatoes to use to make a salad with. Radishes are also a great choice for salads. Buying in-season produce is such a frugal way to shop.
I love making smoothies with fresh strawberries I have frozen to use throughout the year. I just wash whole strawberries, take off the green tops, let dry, lay on a flat pan to flash freeze and then store in freezer bags.
Fresh cabbage is another great choice now. Its crappie fishing season in Central Florida and its a must to serve a bowl of homemade coleslaw as a side dish.
Bell peppers, mushrooms, and snap beans are also available. I will cut up the peppers and freeze the same way I do strawberries.
I love making homemade cream of mushroom soup with fresh mushrooms and the snap beans are a perfect side dish with almost any meal.
How do you know you are getting Fresh from Florida produce? Look for that familiar Florida sunshine on the package. Florida farmers make it so easy to find their products in the stores with that emblem.
I find a lot of my recipes at the Fresh from Florida website run by the Florida Department of Agriculture. Be sure to also check out their easy how-to videos for quick and healthy recipes to make with all the fresh veggies and fruit.
You can also follow Fresh from Florida on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Where do you buy locally grown produce?
Other Saving Ideas:
Enjoy,
Tammy
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I’m just a country girl loving my geeky life with my wonderful husband, always taking pictures, getting my hands dirty in the garden, being crafty, exploring with travels and enjoying all this on a budget. But above all, living my faith as a child of God!
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We have such a drought of grocery and produce stores in El Paso. Have just gotten our first Whole Foods, longing for a Trader Joe’s. I tend to just go to that big W discount store for groceries but I would love to be able to buy fresher produce.
Your photos are mouth watering! Oh, to have a plate of those green beans. My PC (Prince Charming) isn’t much of a green (or any other color) veggie eater so I miss green beans and peas and broccoli and green beans and peas!!
I’m really lucky to live in an area with tons of farms around. During the warmer months I buy directly from the farms or pick my own produce. Can’t be the freshness. I ask the farmers what stores they sell to and try to buy from the stores they mention.
I love buying locally grown produce. We have some great farmers’ markets near me and our grocery stores are finally beginning to stock up on Michigan grown fruits and vegetables. So yummy!
Oh my goodness! All of those fruits and vegetables look amazing! You are lucky to live in Florida and have such an amazing selection. I loved reading all of your suggestions.
I love shopping locally and we are very lucky as I have a permanent local farmers market about 40 minutes away (My local supermarket is 20 minutes away so it isn’t that much further)
They stock from WA farmers and have a great selection of food.
I also try to grow plenty at home too….but that is a constant battle between the goat and I!
I live in a area that is usually cold, and all fruits and vegetables are imported. However, I once got to try a tomato that was not from a store, but grown by a local farmer. It was crazy how much of a difference that made. I never liked tomatoes because they are tasteless, but this was a whole new experience. It was super tasty. 🙂
I love anything fresh and locally grown so this is just amazing for me.
I love locally grown produce, where you get to know where the produce was from and how they are grown is really beneficial too. I need to start looking for markets around me and buy from them often.
I have a local farmers market I go to on weekends to get my organic product from local farmers. It’s really the best tasting, and the most sustainable choice!
xoxo
Annie
while I had no idea what what the difference was before read this. I will definitely be buying local now
Great one.. I should show this to my wife and tanx for sharing..
Love local produce. I try to go to my farmers market each week to stock up then! Unfortunately grocery stores where I am don’t often carry local.
As a young girl, I remember grandparents growing a good amount of their own produce and I have fond memories of that. Such as walking into the glass house and smelling the aroma of tomatoes (and also going in there when it was warm as it held heat from the sun lol). I remember also picking out herbs for the dinners my grandmother would prepare. I also remember them being estatic when they their squash had a nice harvest. That was in England and I live in Arizona now in which the soil is much different lol. I now just go to the groccery store to buy produce but I always wonder if I could grow a mini-garden due to the memories I have at my grandparents home. We will see though… Thanks for reminding me to figure out what I am going to do 🙂
Up in th colder states, it’s tough to find local produce in the winter months. However, summer farmers markets are my favorite thing!!
Living in Canada, particularly in a landlocked province that gets 5-6 months of snow means that we are often limited to fresh produce in the spring and summer. Living in Belgium I do find it easier to find fresh produce most of the year because they have milder winters!
I live in England and we have our own farmers market every weekend in the town square/ I do like to buy local products directly from the producers as they always taste better and I know that they are fresh and not ripped on a ship on their way to Europe.
I loved Publix when I was on vacation in Florida. They have some great produce. Definitely love local produce.
I always prefer locally grown products because they just taste that much better. Thanks for highlighting the beenfits of buying locally
I love supporting and buying local produce because it directly helps the local farmers and business. Sometimes, the cost are much cheaper and more fresh!
I love the warmer weather because of the endless possibilities of fresh items. Picking our own straverries, blueberries and peaches is fun too. I do appreciate the local grocery stores offering local produce as well.
Yes! I couldn’t agree more with these points. We live in an area where most of the markets have locally grown products and you really taste the difference.
Back in the Philippines, we buy our meat and produce in the wet market where everything comes from local farms and delivered fresh daily. That’s definitely one of the many things I took for granted while living there.
Local grown usually are fresher and cheaper here in our country. But as long as the goods are ok I still buy them at grocery.
I love shopping locally grown products. It’s a way to support local farmers and farms.
I love all of these reasons! We try our hardest to buy locally grown!
I always try to buy local produce where possible. I shop at our local farmers markets, butchers or the market for fruit and veg. It’s always so much fresher!
I’ve only been to Florida once but I was blown away by the amount of produce in our local Walmart! You have the best climate for growing!
In Spain, I have a little shop that sells fruit and vegetables below my flat. It’s convenient and I like to support small businesses. So I try to go there for all my fruits and veggies.