Local & Naked

In almost all parts of the country right now you can probably find some local strawberries at your farmers’ market, at a nearby you-pick farm, or if you grow your own, they’re right in your back yard (lucky you!). You can also, without doubt, find strawberries in your local supermarket that are grown in California or Florida. If you ever thought that eating local foods was just for snobs or all just bunch of hoo-hah, this is the perfect time of year to prove to yourself how fantastic local food tastes.

Pick up a package of those shipped-in strawberries in a plastic container at your supermarket. Then, get some locally grown strawberries and put them side by side. The locally grown ones will almost surely be much smaller than the supermarket strawberries. They’ll be fresher, because they were just picked, and did not have to spend days on a refrigerated truck. In fact, the local berries you bought have never been inside a refrigerator. Commercially grown strawberries are bred to be large and to look fresh even when they have been picked for a week. Not so with locally grown strawberries; small farmers and backyard gardeners are not choosing the same variety of berries as the big growers like Driscoll. Their berries aren’t going that far; they will be picked and sold right away close to where they are grown.

Now, take a bite from each of the berries and you’ll instantly understand why local is better. And it’s not just for strawberries—it’s every food. When you have diabetes or heart disease, when your health really does depend on every bite you put in your mouth, every bite should be delicious. And, when you take the extra trouble to seek out local produce that’s full of flavor, you’re going to be excited about eating all those fruits and vegetables that you should be piling on your plate every day. The best way to eat those strawberries: naked (the berries, that is), in a bowl, with a fork.