In an earlier blog post, Eating Your Carbon Footprint we covered actions you can take right now to lessen
your carbon footprint. One being: Eat Local. Eating local is great for a
variety of reasons - you support your local economy, create more jobs, and of
course lessen your environmental impact – but an equally important shopping
habit to adopt is choosing fruits and vegetables that are in season.
Unless you live in warmer climates where some
produce can be grown year-round, odds are, you’re produce is traveling hundreds
and maybe even thousands of miles to get to your local grocery store. The
greater distance your food has to travel, the more fuel is needed to get it to
where it needs to go. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, highway vehicles release about 1.7
billion tons of greenhouses gases into the atmosphere each year—contributing to
global climate change. We can due our part to cut that number down. It may seem
like one person or one household can’t make a difference but we can. Every
little bit counts and it can start by choosing fruits and vegetables that are
grown locally and in season so there are less trucks on the highway,
transporting our produce.
So, what fruits and vegetables are in season
in Oregon throughout the year? Check out the handy charts below, courtesy of Oregon Fresh, to find out.
For all of you looking to go out and buy fruits in vegetables in season right now (highfive), here are three delicious recipes that incorporate August produce.
Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower Gratin
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