Photo by Geneva Nodland
Check Out the Farmers Markets Shopping at your local farmers' markets is a great way to know what’s in season, find foods at their peak of freshness and flavor, and–bonus–they are also a lot of fun! We are lucky to have a great selection of farmer's markets across Fargo-Moorhead so you can shop almost every day of the week from about mid-June through October. Our website has a full list of opportunities to buy local, fresh foods around the Fargo-Moorhead area–including farmers markets, CSAs (community supported agriculture), restaurants, and U-Pick options. foodofthenorth.com/buylocal
Try Something New but Start Small
Plant a Garden Gardening is a fantastic way to not only make fresh, local food super accessible (what’s more local than walking into your backyard, right?), but it also makes you appreciate all the work that goes into raising food. If you’re new to gardening, consider starting small with a container or raised-bed garden. If you’re looking for an awesome group to garden with, join Growing Together: A Community Garden Ministry–a communal gardening program that offers weekly gardening times around the Fargo-Moorhead community. You work together to plant and tend the garden and share the harvest. Or if you’re already a seasoned gardener and looking to share the bounty, consider joining our Little Free Garden movement to make fresh, local produce available for those in need. littlefreegarden.com
I think people get a little excited when they get to the farmer's market (particularly the first markets of the season) and end up buying more than they need. I like to encourage people to start small–particularly with foods you haven’t tried before. If you’ve never cooked with kale or swiss chard, buy a small bundle and commit to finding a recipe to try that week. The internet is full of amazing recipes you can search based on a certain ingredient. However, be leery. Not every internet recipe is high quality. Some of my personal favorite recipe websites are Bon Appetit, NYTimes Cooking, Cooking Light and Saveur.
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