Local Kiwis Are Delicious
We Americans are spoiled compared to our ancestors. No matter what season it is, we expect meat, grain and produce to be readily available to us - and prepackaged so we don’t have to work too hard to turn it into edible cuisine.
Many of the fruits and veggies we consume, have an “off” season, and therefore do not grow year around. Unless you are cautious, the produce in your fridge right now has traveled hundreds or thousands of miles to arrive in your kitchen. This increases your carbon footprint, consumes fossil fuels, and increases the profit dollars of the large conglomerates– instead of our own local farmers.
In Miami, we are lucky - we don’t have snow or frozen soil in the winter that would prevent our farmers from growing food. In fact, Florida soil is great for growing a large variety of produce. Purchasing local not only decreases your carbon footprint, but supports our small, local farmers. You know- those guys that actually are in business for the LOVE of the profession, not for the $. It also helps uplift OUR economy here in Florida, which will have the long term benefit of creating local jobs and supporting local charities as our small businesses prosper and donate to them.
Did you know buying local produce instead of mass produced food is healthier too? Mass produced food is stripped of many nutrients in the rush to grow more of it. Local farmers use less dangerous chemicals to produce food and usually allow it to ripen naturally, instead of in storage sheds while being bombarded with gases to accelerate ripening. And the taste? If you haven’t done a taste test already, RUN, don’t walk to your nearest local market and try something. I bet you will realize how much you forgot how our produce is supposed to taste!
This argument can easily be extended beyond the idea of buying food locally. EVERYTHING you buy from a local merchant that is created locally helps to save the environment by reducing fossil fuel consumption while putting money back into your local economy. A recent study showed that for every $100 spent in a chain store, $14 went back into the local economy. For every $100 spent with a local business, $45 went back into the local economy.
Where do you want YOUR money to go?
LOCAL FARMER’S MARKETS
| Miami-Dade County | Aventura Mall Market | Aventura | ||
| Coconut Grove Farmers’ Market | Miami | |||
| Collins Park Sunday Market | Miami Beach | |||
| Coral Gables Farmers’ Market | Coral Gables | |||
| Jackson Memorial Foundation Green Market | Miami | |||
| Lincoln Road Farmers’ Market | Miami Beach | |||
| Normandy Village Market Place | Miami | |||
| Mayfair Green Market | Coconut Grove | |||
| Pinecrest Gardens Green Market | Pinecrest | |||
| Upper East Side Green Market | Miami |
[ Photo Credit: Flickr- D.Sharon Pruitt under a Creative Commons License]





