By now we are aware that going vegan is the greenest thing you can do. We all know that meat consumption causes environmental degradation of the worst kind. Raising animals for food wastes and pollutes land and water, causes extreme methane pollution, and uses more fossil fuels than all of the SUVs in the US combined. But once we have mastered the art of veganism, whats next? How can we be more efficient and sustainable? The answer is simple: Eat local, and in season.
Why eat in season?
See that yummy banana? You know, the one you can’t get your day started without. That little fella has come a long way to reach your kitchen, and his journey was not very pleasant. Eating locally and in season brings your food closer to your plate, and leaves less room for interpretation. Eating locally guarantees that you are also eating in season. It has tons of other perks as well.
- The food doesn’t have to travel as far to reach you, saving countless gallons of fossil fuels and exhaust. Most of our food travels over 1,500 miles to reach us.
- Even if the produce is not organic, small farms are much less aggressive with pesticides and other chemicals.
- The money we spend is going straight into farmer’s pockets, and not being intercepted by large unethical companies who don’t compensate farmer’s fairly.
- Odds are, the produce has been picked within 24 hours. Now thats fresh!
- It is easy to develop a relationship with the person who actually grew your food. That way you can ask questions about the production process and get straight answers.
- Now you have an excuse to go exploring and meet new people! Research and travel to farms and farmers markets in your area. Have interesting conversations with like-minded people.
- Support local, small business. If everyone chose to support local farms and other businesses, these high quality and ethically produced goods would become cheaper and more readily available.
Whats in season for the fall?
Fall is my favorite season for produce. I am a sucker for all things squash, and abundant greens. Depending on your area, here are some things that are plentyful in this colorful season:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Greens (Arugula, Collards, Kale, Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss Chard)
- Cucumber
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Gourds
- Beans
- Onions
- Peppers
- Leeks
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Pumpkins
- Summer Squash
- Sweet Corn
- Tomatoes
- Turnips
- Winter Squash
- Zucchini
- Apples
- Pears
- Plums
- Melons
More resources for eating locally
100milediet.org -a great resource for eating locally. Get tips and find out what your 100 miles consists of.
eatseasonably.co.uk -British site with all you need to know about in season veggies, and growing your own.
epicurious.com -Use the interactive seasonal map to determine what is available in your area during a particular month.
localharvest.org -Find all organic produce grown by your house. **This site also links to animal farms. I think that it is a good resource though, if you don’t mind sifting through to get to the produce-only farms!
Eating local can have a huge environmental impact. Here at http://www.meatlessmonday.com we try to use as much local and seasonal produce as possible to make less expensive and more nutritious meals, especially on Mondays when we all cut out meat for the day! If you are interested in meatless recipes or fun food news and facts check us out. ~VP