Australian Fruits and Vegetables in Season

New Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Fine Food Market for Sydney

2008-09-08T21:05:00.002+10:00

Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Fine Food Market is to be set up in the heart of Sydney’s CBD on a weekly basis from later this month. All the details at Australian Food News.

Eat Local

2008-09-06T09:49:00.003+10:00

The National Resources Defence Council in the US has a great article on eating Local and a US seasonal food database on their Eat Local page. The article is reprinted below:

"When we shop at the grocery store today, we don't bat an eye at the sight of strawberries in the winter or perfect tomatoes from Holland. In the space of a generation, we've become accustomed to eating food that's never grown roots in local soil. In fact, most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold.

Trucking, shipping and flying in food from around the country and the globe takes a toll on the environment and on public health. Take grapes, for example. Every year, nearly 270 million pounds of grapes arrive in California, most of them shipped from Chile to the Port of Los Angeles. Their 5,900 mile journey in cargo ships and trucks releases 7,000 tons of global warming pollution each year, and enough air pollution to cause dozens of asthma attacks and hundreds of missed school days in California.

The way we eat has an enormous impact on the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the food chain, and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty food."

Image: National Resources Defence Council

Welcome to Australian Fruits and Vegetables in Season

2008-09-04T15:13:00.002+10:00

Welcome! Isn't it so much nicer to cook with ingredients that taste fantastic, keep well, and are well priced? It's also great for your health too - fresh fruit and vegetables in season are packed with nutrition and eating food at the peak of its season means you maximise your nutrient intake.

And if you know what is in season, you can plan your meals accordingly, which makes trips to the grocery store and farmer's market a whole lot easier, and a lot cheaper. Abundant food is at its lowest price (the supply:demand ratio works in our favour), and you'll pay less for food transport, and food storage which is great for our carbon footprint.

Best of all is taste; if you know what is in season, you can use the best tasting ingredients to pack a punch for your tastebuds. All in all, a better way to eat.

I invite you to submit your own details in the comments section of where to get the best fresh produce in season, your reviews of the food at farmer's markets, or any changes to seasonality due to environmental conditions. You can also contact me at stephbond at gmail dot com. I look forward to hearing from you!

Image: Corey Leopold on Flickr