These days there are few foods you can’t find in a supermarket year-round. As a consequence, few of us pause to consider whether the food we eat makes sense given the time of year. Eating out-of-season food is an easy way to rack up a huge carbon footprint — either it’s been transported from far away or it’s been grown in an energy-intensive climate-controlled structure. Avoid foods that aren’t in season.

Canning and freezing are time-honored methods of preserving seasonal foods for later enjoyment. Just remember to check where the food came from, and that canning and freezing also take energy.

Finding local, in-season foods may seem like a challenge, but it’s easier than you might think.

  • Visiting farm stands, joining a CSA, or shopping at farmers’ markets are great ways to get local in-season food, and to make connections with the people who grow it. (Check out Local Harvest to find the local food sources in your area.)
  • At the supermarket, go prepared with knowledge about which foods are in season in your area. (NRDC maintains a great tool to help you find this out.) When you get to the store, check those pesky stickers on the produce to see where it’s made, and talk to the grocer about their suppliers.

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People's experiences completing this action

  1. aarongustafson aarongustafson completed this on March 13 7:26 PM

    No comment

  2. water3 water3 completed this on March 12 3:14 PM

    I do this when I run out of what I grow myself.

  3. rosemary rosemary completed this on March 11 6:48 PM

    We have four distinct seasons in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and eating in season fruits and vegetables just heightens the enjoyment of the seasons.

  4. luci luci completed this on March 10 1:48 PM

    No comment

  5. pattidiver pattidiver completed this on March 08 8:30 AM

    We also grow our own vegetables….yummy.

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