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avocado regional food vs local food

Tropical fruit in Virginia?! Regional food vs local food

Regional food vs local food: What’s the difference?


By the Veggie Fairy Team

Sometimes it’s obvious: If an apple comes from New Zealand, it’s not local, at least not here in Virginia. If it’s an avocado like the one in the picture, that didn’t grow round these parts, either. But what if it comes from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, or even Florida?

What’s the difference between regional food vs local food?

There’s no official definition for ‘local food’ or ‘regional food’. Seasonal Roots considers food ‘local’ if it’s grown or made within about 150 miles of where we deliver. We call it ‘regional’ if it’s outside that range but can still get to us within a day or so of harvest without flying.

Any further than that and it isn’t fresh enough or nutritious or flavorful enough for us, and probably comes with a bigger carbon foot-print, too. Click here to read why local — and regional — produce is better for you.

So most of our online farmers market items are local, and in the winter we add regional items from Florida.

One thing you’ll never see in our market is anything from New Zealand, or even California. (And nothing grown by Big Industrial Agriculture, either. We partner with family farmers only.)

What if I want to eat local food only?

regional food vs local foodTake a good look at this picture. Can you tell the local food from the regional food in that basket-worth of items? When you’re shopping our online farmers market, you never have to guess because we always tell you where it was grown by which family farmer.

That’s important, because some of our members take satisfaction in eating only what nature can provide in season here in Virginia. They keep all their food dollars local and avoid things like tropical fruits that don’t grow this far north. After all, humans survive just fine on different diets the world over.

Other members enjoy the variety that regional options offer, especially in winter. When snow’s on the ground, they’re willing to go a little farther afield to enjoy produce like oranges and avocados grown by family farmers in Florida.

Seasonal Roots is here to support your choice, whether you choose to eat 100% local or occasionally go regional. We always make it clear where each item in our online farmers market is grown or made. That way you can choose the food that’s right for you, good for you, and still good for our planet, too!

For tropical fruit lovers: Meet V&B Farms

Tropical fruits are an important part of a healthy diet — as pirates and other seafarers discovered when they got scurvy! But citrus doesn’t grow in Virginia.

So as part of our commitment to eat food from the closest farms possible, during the winter months we partner with V&B Farms in Florida. These Sunshine State farmers can grow the citrus and other tropical and summery fruits like those avocados that we need for a healthy diet – but can’t grow up here in Virginia.

Coming from nearby Florida, V&B’s produce will travel far less than produce from California or Central and South America. That means it’s fresher, riper, tastier, and still packed with nutrients. And it’s better for the environment, since less travel equals less pollution.

v and b farms regional foodThe farmers behind V&B are Tommy Vick and Brandon Boyd, who have known each other since they were in diapers.

Tommy’s a fourth generation farmer who was driving the family’s tractors by the time he was seven. Now he volunteers his time at local schools to help promote the next generation of Florida growers.

Brandon’s a fifth generation horticulturist. With a degree in horticulture technology, he has worked on research to make aquaponics more sustainable.

We’re glad to support Tommy and Brandon as they focus on the future of local, sustainable farming right here in our region!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

love local leeks

How I learned to love leeks

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 22, 2017

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY’RE LOCAL
by Duane, founder and Head Veggie Fairy

I love when the winter months come and we have fresh, local leeks in the kitchen. My first farm encounter with leeks was on a nice fall day. I was standing in a field out at Charlie Collins’ Victory Farms in Henrico. Charlie sold his produce at in-person farmers markets, and I was looking at a fifty-foot-long row of leeks. They were at the peak of ripeness and ready for harvest. But Charlie was about to till them all under. Why? He’d learned…

Continue reading about why Duane loves leeks, below, or view this issue as a PDF with clickable links.

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love local leeks recipes & health benefits

How I learned to love leeks

Recipes & health benefits to help you love leeks at the farmers market!


By Duane, founder & Head Veggie Fairy

I love when the winter months come and we have fresh, local leeks in the kitchen. My first farm encounter with leeks was on a nice fall day. I was standing in a field out at Charlie Collins’ Victory Farms in Henrico. Charlie sold his produce at in-person farmers markets — by the way, many of those are closed this time of year, but he now sells through the Seasonal Roots online farmers market, too, which is open year-round.

Anyway, back before Victory Farms began selling through Seasonal Roots, I was out there in the field looking at a fifty-foot-long row of leeks. They were at the peak of ripeness and ready for harvest. But Charlie was about to till them all under. Why? He’d learned there was no point hauling them to market – no one wanted them. A tragedy!

Guess what, they’re good for you

They looked so beautiful and smelled so fresh out in the field that I was determined to learn about these gems. I soon discovered that they’re a close relative of the simple yellow onion – but better. A single leek (about a cup) contains just 54 calories. So it makes you feel full without fattening you up.

And leeks are loaded with vitamins! One whole leek gives you at least half the recommended daily dose of vitamins A and K, plus significant amounts of compounds that help protect your vision. Click here to get all the details on the health benefits.

Easy to cook, too

There are lots of ways to put leeks to work. The first recipe I remember making with leeks was a fish dish. I grilled flounder (any fresh fish will do) with a little salt, and caramelized freshly harvested leeks. That was all it took to make a meal that I will never forget – the taste was amazing! Now I use leeks in stews, soups, omelets, and more.

We’ve pulled together a variety of leek recipes right here on Pinterest to help you give them a try. There’s something for everyone, including two potato-and-leek soup options, with and without the cream. Enjoy!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

fight hunger with local food

4 ways you can help fight hunger

Giving is always in season


By the Seasonal Roots Veggie Fairy Team

On delivery day last week, the day before Thanksgiving, one of our neighborhood Market Managers, Nickie, posted this on Facebook:
“I’m volunteering with the 25 Project to provide meals to roughly 500 homeless living in shelters and tent cities in DC and Northern Virginia tomorrow. I reached out to the good people at Seasonal Roots to see if they could send some surplus veggies my way, and boy did they deliver. Literally. All of this was waiting for me on the truck this morning. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to the farmers and founders who were able to provide all this nutritious produce to those in our area who so desperately need it. Stay tuned for updates on the mass cooking project going down in my house tonight as I prepare for tomorrow!”

Our Chief Happiness Officer, Lesley, shared NIckie’s Post on our Facebook page, adding:
“We get so excited when we’re given the chance to share the love of local, especially when it’s to those in need. We are incredibly thankful for sweet souls like Nickie who help spread that love.”

Later that day, Nickie posted an update:
“Thank you again! Meals were served to 525 people yesterday. We couldn’t have done it without your extreme generosity.”

4 ways to help

From our Hub in Richmond, Sam, our Farmer Connector, regularly donates any excess produce to FeedMore’s Central Virginia Food Bank. In this season of giving, if you’re feeling led to support an organization like that, here are four different ways you can do it:

1. Just by ordering your weekly basket from your online farmers market, you’re making it possible for Seasonal Roots to donate fresh local food on behalf of all of us.
2. You can also make your own food donations.
3. You can volunteer your time and talent.
4. And you can donate money — charities can always put cash to good use!

Looking for a local charity near you where you can help feed your neighbors? FeedMore helps the hungry throughout Central Virginia, from the North Carolina border up through Richmond to the Northern Neck. Check them out — they offer an amazing array of food-related services to families in need.

If you live closer to the coast in the Hampton Roads area, the Virginia Peninsula Foodbank offers an equally impressive array of services that deserve your support.

And in Northern Virginia, the Capital Area Food Bank could use your help fighting suburban hunger.

All three of these charities are top-rated by Charity Navigator. So you can trust they’ll be good stewards of your dollars, and offer meaningful opportunities for volunteering.

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

eating local

4 Ways you can help fight hunger in your community

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 22, 2017

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

GIVING IS ALWAYS IN SEASON

On delivery day last week, the day before Thanksgiving, one of our neighborhood Market Managers, Nickie, posted this on Facebook:
“I’m volunteering with the 25 Project to provide meals to roughly 500 homeless living in shelters and tent cities in DC and Northern Virginia tomorrow. I reached out to the good people at Seasonal Roots to see if they could send some surplus veggies my way, and boy did they…

Continue reading about fighting hunger while eating local, below, or view this issue as a PDF with clickable links.

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eating local

Eating local means eating what nature provides

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 22, 2017

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING GREEN BEANS

Green beans are a tradition on many a Thanksgiving table. So Sam, our Farmer Connector, always stocks our online farmers market with them for the holiday. This year, he scoured the whole region, but there was nary a green bean to be found.

The culprit…

Continue reading about eating local in spite of the weather, below, or view this issue as a PDF with clickable links.

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eating local - hurricanes

Eating local means eating what nature provides

The Mystery of the Missing Green Beans


By the Seasonal Roots Veggie Fairy Team

Green beans are a tradition on many a Thanksgiving table. So Sam, our Farmer Connector, always stocks our online farmers market with them for the holiday. This year, he scoured the whole region, but there was nary a green bean to be found. It was a mystery, but there’s a clue in that photo montage: One of these things is not like the other.

Mystery solved

So: The culprit? The hurricanes! All that wind and rain took them out. Fortunately, our family farmers still have plenty of local, sustainably grown produce to make your favorite holiday sides: Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, beets, chestnuts, winter squashes, apples, mushrooms, spinach and more! Eating local is still delicious, even without the green beans.

Still want those green beans?

If you just gotta have ’em though, you can always get green beans at the supermarket. But do it knowing you’re really just getting a pretty prop. Any green beans on the shelves right now have traveled a long way – guaranteed. In the process, they’ve lost most of their nutrients and flavor, and burned a big carbon footprint.

Eating locally means eating what nature provides while enjoying fresh delicious flavor, great nutrition, and a cleaner environment. All good things to be thankful for. Happy Turkey Day, everybody!

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

sustainable greenhouse online farmers market

Year-round online farmers market = year-round healthy eating

As temps drop, farmers keep farming


By the Seasonal Roots Veggie Fairy Team

Thanksgiving is coming, right about the time most traditional farmers markets are closing for the winter, or scaling back. But not your year-round online farmers market! We stay open all through the winter because a little dip in the temperature gauge can’t stop our local farmers from farming.

So what’s happening on the farm?

Family farmers are still out in their fields gleaning the last of the summer and fall crops like peppers and eggplant. They’re tending to cold weather crops like beets, carrots, parsnips, and greens.

They’re putting their greenhouses to work to grow more tender produce like tomatoes and basil. Check out that photo if you need proof of the power of a greenhouse — inside one of the greenhouses on Sion House Farm in eastern Virginia, the McKenney family extends the season growing crops like local tomatoes… and for wearing shorts!

Our farmers who raise animals are busy, too. Their cows are still producing milk and their chickens are still laying eggs.

What’s up with those lighter-colored egg yolks?

Lately you may have noticed that the yolks are little more light-colored than usual. Your eggs are still as fresh as ever, and the hens are still pasture-raised. So what’s going on?

The folks at Avery’s Branch Farms explain: “At this time of year the grass quantity starts to be depleted and we start feeding them alfalfa hay. It takes a couple weeks for them to get adjusted to the hay and that causes a few lighter weeks.”

So there’s still a lot going on out on the farms. And that’s why we stay open year-round – to support our local farm families and to help you keep eating fresh nutritious local food throughout the year.

ABOUT SEASONAL ROOTS


Since 2011, Seasonal Roots’ online farmers market has connected Virginia families with local family farmers who use sustainable, humane practices. Our veggie fairies – mostly moms who believe in living better through scrumptious, healthy eating, being kind to animals, protecting the environment, and spreading joy – home-deliver freshly harvested produce, eggs, grass-fed dairy and meat, plus artisan fare. We empower our members to eat better and live better with more nutritious, flavorful food that’s good for us and good for the planet. More info at seasonalroots.com.

sustainable greenhouses

As temps drop, farmers keep farming

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 8, 2017

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

WHAT’S ON TAP FOR THANKSGIVING, PLUS WHAT’S UP WITH THOSE PALE YOLKS?

Thanksgiving is com-ing, right about the time most traditional farmers markets are closing for the winter, or scaling back.

But not your online farmers market! We stay open year-round.

A little dip in the temperature gauge can’t stop our local farmers from…

Continue reading about local winter farming and what’s happening with your yolks, below, or view this issue as a PDF with clickable links.

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why local food tastes different

Why fresh local food tastes so different

EAT BETTER LIVE BETTER NEWSLETTER / November 8, 2017

Tips, hacks, recipes, stories, and the weekly special all help you eat better live better with fresh local food!

CASE STUDY: CELERY

It’s celery season out on the Flores family’s farm on Virginia’s Northern Neck. Gerardo and his son Omar are harvesting fresh, aromatic celery bunches from their fields. Then we deliver it straight to you within just a couple days. If you ever needed proof that freshly harvested local produce tastes better than the stuff you get at the grocery story (which is at least a week old), do a celery taste test.

When most people think about the taste of celery, they think of grocery store celery – bitter or, at best, blah…

Continue reading about local celery and why its so awesome, below, or view this issue as a PDF with clickable links.

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