Celebrating Earth Day can be as simple as supporting your local fresh farmers’ markets. This year, Earth Day falls on April 22, 2016. All around the world, communities are hosting events to celebrate the day where we all make a conscious effort to build a healthy, sustainable environment, address climate change, and protect the Earth for future generations. Meals On Wheels of Tampa will be celebrating with the community at the 7th Annual EcoFest on Saturday, April 23rd at the Lowry Park bandshell.
Supporting your local famers’ markets by buying locally grown fruits and veggies is one small, but big, step in cultivating a healthy food system. Here are some top reasons why you should celebrate Earth Day by purchasing locally:
One: In most instances, your fruits and veggies have traveled a lot by the time they make it to your plate: Food in the U.S. travels an average of 15,000 miles before it makes it to your home. Purchasing locally eliminates the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels pollutes our air and adds to packaging waste. Commercial farming and agriculture uses many more resources than sustainable agriculture and pollutes water, land, and air with toxic by-products. Food at the farmers’ market is transported shorter distances and is generally grown using methods that minimize the impact on the earth.
Two: Eat Seasonal. The food you buy at the farmers’ market is seasonal. It is fresh and reflects the truest flavors our earth can provide. Shopping and cooking from the farmers’ market helps you to reconnect with the cycles of nature in our region. As you look forward to asparagus in spring, sweet corn in summer, or pumpkins in autumn, you reconnect with the earth, the weather, and the turning of the year. Perks and benefits: Eating seasonally helps you save money on food. When you buy what’s in season, you buy food that’s at the peak of its supply, and costs less to farmers. And the best reason of all is that you get the best tasting, healthiest food available. The same reasons that keep the cost of seasonal food down also drive its quality up!
Three: Help your local growers. Earth Day is about give and take. The Earth is our home and gives us so much. We in turn, should do something for it: protect it. In the spirit of this give and take, let’s support our local growers. Through your support, we give local growers a fighting chance to compete with large agribusiness that dominates food production in the U.S. Buying directly from farmers gives them a better return for their produce and gives them a fighting chance in today’s globalized economy.
So as you can see, you don’t need to put on your tie-dye shirt, and go outside barefoot to hug a tree this Earth Day (unless you really want to). Visit Tampa Bay Markets to see a list of local markets, and then go shopping! You’ll keep yourself and your environment healthy, and improve your local farmers’ economy. Stay healthy, be healthy, share healthy.
You can also support Meals On Wheels of Tampa by volunteering to deliver Hurricane Preparedness Packs on Sat. May 21st or fresh fruits and veggies
through the Produce On Wheels program. The goal of POW is to increase senior and homebound meal recipients’ access to fresh produce.
The program is free of charge to its recipients. The next POW delivery will take place Sat., June 18.
Do you need a hot meal delivered to your home? Do you know someone that does? Please visit www.mowtampa.org/programs/mealservice.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support by not accepting government funding.
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