This is an article that I wrote 2 winters ago.  Nobody ever got the chance to read it so I thought Id share it with you, not much has changed.  

As summer quickly approaches, so does the season for local produce!  Spending the winter eating frozen, canned, or even fresh produce from all over the world makes me greatly anticipate what is coming soon grown right here in our food shed. Becoming connected with the food that is produced in this region can be a great learning experience as well a way that you can support your local economy.

The average morsel of food travels 2000 miles before ending up at the local grocery store.  I spent some time in the local grocery store and took some time to look at some of the origins on those little stickers that are on the fresh fruit and vegetables.  The findings were interesting.  To my surprise there were some Colorado grown products in the produce department. Crimini and button mushrooms are grown in our neighborhood by Rakara Mushrooms in Alamosa. Fresh sprouts are grown in Denver, Osage Gardens in Newcastle, Colorado is the local provider of fresh packaged herbs such as basil, dill, chives, mint and more, and there were packages of dried pinto beans from Dove Creek. Organic greenhouse cherry tomatoes are starting to come in from Denver.  Weather their grown in soil or hydroponically, the package didn’t say.  All of the other produce in the department came from somewhere other than Colorado. 

Naturally some things don’t grow here so if we choose to have the luxury of them, they will have to travel.  Citrus such as oranges, mandarins, and grapefruit are coming from California and Texas.  The citrus growers in California experienced a significant loss this winter due to freezing weather but still managed to have some crops.  Grapes, nectarines, and plums are being imported from Chili, and pears from Argentina.  Produce coming from Mexico is dominating the produce market right now.  Blackberries, cantaloupe, watermelons, avocados, eggplant, organic celery, zucchini, summer squash and several varieties of packaged lettuce blends are all being imported from south of the border. 

Bell peppers of all colors, green, orange, red, and yellow are all labeled Canada, though I’ve recently seen grown in Holland labels on the peppers.  Holland is how far away?  As for the unmentioned fresh produce, it is coming mainly from California and Arizona, a mere hop and a skip away.  Some of the apples are still coming out of storage from Washington state, keep in mind that these were all harvested last fall and kept in pressurized rooms until now.  Start looking for New Zeeland labels on the new crop apples. Strawberries are coming from California and I am thankful that these farmers have a crop after the rains that wiped out the majority of the strawberries last year. 

Local, seasonal produce will be starting to arrive in many areas of Colorado as soon as May. Grown in the back yard or on your local family farm items such as sugar snap peas, carrots, spinach, lettuce, turnips, beets, and radishes are going to be some of the first out of the ground for you to sample this year.  Added to the list in June and July vegetables such as broccoli, zucchini, summer squash, cabbage, garlic, new potatoes, bunched onions, swiss chard, green beans, and the beginning of sweet corn, one of my personal seasonal favorites, will be arriving.  Fresh juicy fruit is always much anticipated as well.  Be ready for apricots, cherries, and the famous Palisade peaches to be juicy sweet, but only for a short season.  Do what you can to preserve these treats throughout the season to savor the flavor throughout the year. In August, September, and early October the produce really continues to be bountiful.  Eggplant, peppers of all kinds including roasted chilies, tomatoes, cauliflower, cantaloupe, watermelon, acorn squash and other winter varieties of squash are keeping the local market steady.

Depending on the location the produce is grown will determine when it will be ready for harvest.  In Colorado this will greatly vary from Pueblo’s long hot summers to Salida’s shorter, cooler growing season.  No matter where you are indulge in pleasures of local produce.  Keep in mind that even if it is from the other side of Colorado, it is still local.  Nearly 90% of transportation costs are spent on transportation of food and a mere 10% is used for the production of food.  Challenge yourself to eat as close to home as possible.  Visit your local farmers market weekly and don’t be afraid to try new foods that you have never had before.  Spend a day canning green beans, or freezing fresh peaches to enjoy throughout the winter.  You will be pleasantly surprised the joy you will get from this.  Also visit your local farmer and volunteer on the farm for a day to really get a hand in the local food production system.  Becoming connected with local food systems is a great way to keep your money local and to make sure that farmers are getting what they deserve for their effort to feed you.  Eat fresh, local, and share in the joy of eating seasonally!