Buy Local

I wrote recently about the dangers of eating imported produce, even when just imported from the other coast. This warning applies to other foods as well.

And this is not just for safety reasons. Quality is also an issue/ The longer something is stored the more the quality goes down. If you but tomatoes locally grown, you will likely get a ripe, juicy flavorful tomato. If you get a tomato grown across the country, that tomato was picked green, shipped, then gassed to appear ripe. It will be tasteless.

Have you ever eaten fresh killed poultry. The taste is nothing like poultry that has been frozen and shipped. I have nothing against frozen or even canned poultry, but if you have a market dealing in fresh killed poultry, take advantage.

I certainly have nothing against frozen or canned vegetables or fruit. They are much better that so0called fresh produce that is picked and shipped thousands of miles. But, if you have a local farmer's market, again, take advantage while things are in season.

The same applies to seafood. Be careful though. Fish that is frozen is frozen as soon as it leaves the water, and the taste is almost as good as fresh. What is sold on markets as fish, is often frozen that has been defrosted. The problem is, fish starts to go downhill very quickly. Even if it has never been frozen, be careful. If it still has its head and the eyes are dull, it is not very fresh.  Even if it is headless, skinless and fileted, there is a way to tell if it is old; it will smell. If the smell is very fishy, don't buy it.

One more thing. There is more and more seafood that is farm raised. Now, if you live near a fish farm, you are quite lucky and will have a nice supply of fresh fish.  Most of us do not. If you are buying farm raised seafood, find out where it is raised, If raised in the USA, it's fine. Same if it is European. But, if raised in South or Central America or Asia, run quickly away. The farms there are not well regulated and most often the product is raised in filthy water, over crowded conditions, and fed hormones to grow them fast and antibiotics just to keep them alive. They are not fit to eat. If you cannot buy this product locally, at least buy USA or European products.

One more factor. Food is shipped by rail, truck or ship. That requires a lot of fuel. Until we find hydrocarbon alternatives, the less fuel we use, the better off we all are, and the better off the businessmen and women in our home communities are. Buy local whenever possible.