From Farm to Table
Buying from local farmers’ markets can have many benefits.
J-Mar Farms grows many different varieties of flowers including Lisianthums, Zinnias, and Sunflowers from the end of June through mid-September.
Fresh strawberries, corn, and peaches are all things that are commonly found at local farmers markets in York County. With over 3,900 farms in Pennsylvania, freshly picked produce is easy to find.
Some favorite places to shop locally are New Eastern Market, Lehman’s Orchards and Roadside Market, J-Mar Farms, Fitz’s Farm Market, Brown’s Orchards, and Blueberry Hill.
Buying local produce directly benefits the community. Owners of J-Mar Farms, Jimmy and Debi Markey state, “Buying local supports the farmers of the area and employs the community.”
According to Dave Lehman, Owner of Lehman’s Orchards and Roadside Market, the benefits of buying local include “Knowing the producer, better quality, and being able to trust the farmer and ask questions.”
A benefit of buying local is many farmers markets offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program.
CSA programs are especially beneficial in the summertime because many farmers will do free giveaways or discounts of things they have extras of.
When choosing a CSA, pick a trusted grower and a program that benefits your needs the most.
It is important to know where produce is coming from and how fresh it is. By buying local, people are able to get produce that is picked that day.
“I look for the produce to be organic, with fewer pesticides used. When I buy locally I know where everything is coming from and the farmers are very honest about what pesticides are used on the crops,” new athletic director, Mr. Sortino said.
“Keeping money in the community allows the farmers to profit and to re-invest that money into their produce and the local economy,” Sortino said.
At the farmer’s markets, customers are able to ask the farmers important questions.
Some of these questions may include when things were picked, what are the best ways to store certain fruits and vegetables, and choose the best tasting product.
In the supermarkets, customers are unable to directly ask the grower these questions. Labeling of products can allow people to get more information.
When buying in supermarkets the produce has usually been sprayed with some sort of preservative, that is able to keep it fresh for up to a few weeks.
“A downside to buying in the supermarkets is the produce is often picked too early to allow the food to ripen while it is being shipped. This causes the sugar content in fruit to be too low,” Lehman said.
A popular opinion among teachers is that buying from the supermarket can be more convenient. Dr. Fletcher and Mrs. Kohler said buying from supermarkets allows them to earn gas points, and only make one stop.
Though the supermarkets are convenient, many teachers such as Mr. Probert, Mrs. Klinedinst, and Mr. Sortino prefer to make the extra trip to ensure fresh produce.
“The most important thing to know about buying local is buying from someone you know and trust,” Markey said.
With the winter season coming to an end, many places are preparing for the spring and summer. Strawberries, tomatoes, and corn are among other plants that are being planted now for the upcoming season.
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Rosemarie Boyce • Jan 12, 2019 at 5:42 pm
Well written and interesting article.