Eat Seasonal, Eat Local Even in the Winter
I live in Kansas. During the late spring, summer, and early fall months, Kansas is a seasonal eater’s paradise. Just about every fruit, vegetable, and grain grows very well here and every weekend, someone is hosting a festival in honor of one bit of produce or another.
Then, starting about November and lasting until about March, it gets cold here. Real cold. Things freeze. The wind chill drives the thermometer well past zero. The plants die or hunker down for a long, Midwestern winter and it becomes well-nigh impossible to find local produce.
In past years, I searched long and hard to find seasonal produce in Kansas. I have gone to year-round farmers’ markets, hoping that perhaps someone had grown their food in a greenhouse or a cellar. Those few stands open during the winter all give me the same answer. Whatever they had for sale came from California or even farther away. Most of the vendors laughed as I tried to find a single item grown in Kansas soil.
It was not until last week that I found my answer. My Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, the Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture (KCCUA), announced that they would continue their growing season well into the winter. This means I am now able to receive certified organic produce grown about five miles away from my house for several months longer! This week’s haul includes: filet beans, leeks, peppers, chard, arugula, and tomatoes. Perhaps not the most exciting vegetable mix, but not bad for a Kansas farm in the middle of October.
I am not sure how long the winter CSA shares will last, but as long as they do, I can keep eating good, healthy vegetables for just a little longer.
Photo courtesy of the KCCUA.
