Project Genesis: Eat Locally~Help the Planet, Help Yourself

photo by NASA: Save the Earth

Saturday mornings at Harbour Quay, we have a farmer's market, full of a rich variety of local produce, baked goods and arts and crafts. The setting, on the water, is lovely (except for the encroaching clearcut across the water - unsustainable logging drives me crazy!). Deep sea vessels find their way along this inlet to pick up our lumber and take it Away. Sadly, we are exporting a lot of jobs with the wood.

The atmosphere at the market is friendly, and carnival-like. A far lovelier experience than supermarket shopping, but it is so much more than that.

Our local market is under tents, while awaiting construction of a new improved site close by. I love the freshness, nutrition and flavor of locally grown produce. Love knowing it has not been tampered with, or loaded with chemicals and preservatives. Not genetically modified. Just fresh, nutritious, flavor-full whole foods, grown close to home. Like my grandma used to cook and eat.

It is better for us, but also better for the planet to eat locally.Transporting food over great distances adds to fossil fuel emmissions. A regional diet consumes 17 times less oil and gas than food shipped across the country. A local meal travels 66 times fewer food miles than imported foods in supermarkets. (source: The 100 Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon)

We can enjoy fresher, healthier, tastier food while reducing our human impact on the planet.

There are always garden-fresh beautiful bouquets available for a song.

Produce just doesnt get any fresher than this. The flavor, compared to stuff picked green and "ripened" in trucks while it crosses the country, is unparalleled.

Spuds with a friendly smile. A lovely way to shop and feel good about supporting our local family farmers. Agro-business and multinationals have made it difficult for small farmers to survive. We can enjoy better nutrition, encourage sustainable farming, and reduce our carbon footprint, all at the same time. And have fun doing it!

Honey fresh from the hive. Our grandparents ate whole foods. I do believe there is a direct link between our consumption of processed foods full of chemicals and preservatives, hormones and antibiotics, and the rise in cancer in North America. The jury is still out on the effects of genetic modification. But messing with nature cant be a good thing. I believe in growing things the good old fashioned way, and raising our domestic animals and chickens humanely.

This Saturday there was even live music. The Marim-Bam-Buzz Band played their joyful marimbas and set all our toes to tapping. Everyone was smiling, and it was as much fun to me as a trip to the Mardi Gras.

Beautiful huge blueberries and beautiful smiles!

Climate change means we need to focus on meeting our needs locally. It is healthier for us and better for the planet. It helps preserve farmland. We can ask our local grocery stores to feature organic and local produce. Most are happy to meet customer demand. When the demand is there, business will respond.

This cool car was parked near the market.

The Rage's Farm booth is always knee-deep in customers. Their produce is fantastic.

These little girls looked so adorable!

I couldnt resist this glorious little sweater, fresh off the knitting needles, for my cousin's first grandchild. It has little red cars for buttons, too cute.

Our town has another market on the main road into town. Naesgaard's Farm Market has been around for decades and offers wonderful locally grown produce as well as starter plants for local gardens.

Their entry is so inviting. Being on the main road through town, they attract a lot of tourists on their way to the west coast. But we locals are happy they are there as well. A trip to both of these markets is highly enjoyable. Plus you come away feeling good about supporting them, with bags of the most lush and flavorful fruits and vegetables. It is win/win all around.

This week they had some old tractors on display and were fund-raising for Children's Hospital.

This is their cornfield, right beside the market.

Multinationals have created a system, and a dependency on that system, that works well for them and for their Bottom Line: Profit. But it doesnt work too well for humanity in general, or the planet. We can vote with our feet and support our local food producers. It's a vote for this planet, which is our home.

For many more great ideas on how to help Mother Earth, please go to

http://oldgreymareprimitives.blogspot.com/2010/06/project-genesis-7110.html