If you love the local food scene or would like to get involved – check out The Federation of Mass Farmers Markets, a non-profit organization, whose mission is, “To partner with farmers, consumers, and communities to foster, enhance and sustain farmers market in Massachusetts in order to improve regional farm viability, consumer nutrition, and community social and economic development.” Whether you’re looking to see what’s in season or where to find a farmer’s market (by zip, day or vendor) this is a great resource to connecting with food growers and purveyors. New this year is the ability to become a consumer member – and become even more involved with local agriculture.
Do you love the idea of home grown vegetables? Do you have visions of coming home from work and heading out to your backyard garden to figure out what’s for dinner? Many of us have these visions but don’t have the time or the know-how to bring them to fruition. Enter Green City Growers, a Boston-based backyard farming operation. Green City, which uses organic methods, specializes in installing customized raised beds in urban and suburban settings. Raised beds make it possible to grow vegetables virtually anywhere: pavement, rooftops and poor soil are all equally suitable locations for a raised bed garden. Green City also offers a variety of maintenance and education plans, which makes them a great option not just for your backyard but also for your school, community center or company.
No they don’t sell hay or baby chicks. Yes they do sell local produce, sustainably raised meat, and fair trade coffee. City Feed and Supply is a Jamaica Plain “people feed” grocery store and cafe with a passion for local food and a strong commitment to sustainable business practices. If I lived in JP (which I don’t) I might have to move into this store I love it so much. For a small store, they carry an impressive selection of green & healthy food, their breakfast and lunch menu is delicious and the vibe is just outstanding. If you live, work or play in JP and haven’t been to City Feed & Supply you must pay them a visit.
Are you a budding localvore? Then you will definitely want to check out Local Harvest an online directory of local & sustainable food sources including farmers markets, farm stands, CSAs, co-ops and restaurants. You can search by location, finding sources closest to where you are, as well as by product.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association is a non-profit, membership organization that supports sustainable agriculture in the Northeast. NOFA MA is one of seven NOFA chapters that provide a variety of services farmers, land care professionals, and consumers. Consumer programs include workshops on topics such as organic gardening, food preservation, and winter gardening. They also publish an organic food buying guide and a list of MA CSAs (CSA stands for community supported agriculture. A CSA supports itself by selling seasonal shares; shareholders pay an upfront fee for a certain amount of farm-grown or raised food each week).
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy is a research, education and advocacy organization working to “ensure fair and sustainable food, farm and trade systems.” While IATP is based in the Midwest and focuses much of its policy work in this region, their publications are a great resource for consumers around the country. I especially recommend IATP’s Food & Health Smart Guides on topics such as plastic safety and hormones in the food system.
Since 1971 the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been devoted to educating consumers about food and health, and advocating for public policies that protect food safety and promote nutrition and sustainable agriculture . CSPI’s well-known publication, Nutrition Action, provides a wealth of information about healthy eating, including information about the presence of chemicals in our food supply.
How would you like to feast on homegrown blueberries, raspberries, apples and pears? This may sound like something out a dream, but with the help of Risa Edelstein, a sustainable landscape designer with a strong interest in edible gardens, this dream can come true. Risa provides a wide-range of services including design, installation and maintenance. She also maintains a blog called Garden and the Good Life
The Sustainable Table is a great online source of information about sustainable eating. The site does an excellent job explaining what sustainable eating is all about, its benefits, and the meanings of the myriad terms that have become associated with “green” eating: terms like organic, pastured, grass-fed, and locally grown. The site contains an Eat Well Guide, a database of sustainable food sources that you can search by zip-code (including bakeries, farmers markets, butchers and food coops), as well as several free downloadable pocket shopping guides.
