LiveDifferent Challenge (19): Buy it local, Pick it fresh!

Dutch is pooping blue.  Really.  Sorry, that’s gross, I know, but I want you to understand the enormous quantity of blueberries that this boy is consuming.  He eats them by the pound.  I’ll make no comment about my digestive system, but I’ve been eating quite a few myself, as they are the only healthy thing that doesn’t make my stomach turn right now.

So last week I finally succumbed and paid the ridiculous price for 2 pounds of blueberries-and that was at Winco!  I almost bought some raspberries at Thriftway, as they’re my favorite, but dropped the teeny ½ carton as if it’d burned my hand when I saw the sign saying $4/carton.  It was only about a handful of berries!

So, after a few days bemoaning the rising food costs, I was seated amongst some girls at a playdate, and asked, “Does anybody know where I can pick blueberries?!”  Becky, who hosted the date, got a funny look on her face and just pointed toward the road.  At that moment I realized how silly my question was because I knew that they had bush after bush of fresh blueberries-they’d given us some last year.  I had totally forgotten that though, so here I was looking as if I’d planted a question in order to get free blueberries again.  Anyway, I explained that my brain failed me quite often these days, but they insisted that we come back out and pick berries, for free.  The next morning Jeff and Dutch and I came back and picked two huge mixing bowls brim full of berries (actually I only picked one, Becky came and helped me and picked the other one herself).  What generosity!

Then, another dear friend overheard me talking about blueberries, and she picked me a big carton full of them herself.  She also cut out the section in the local paper that lists all the places to pick local berries, at super amazing deals.  Then the first family, five days later, picked us another huge plastic bag full of them!  Three cheers for generous blueberry-plant-owners!

So, between our garden (which is limping along in its own pretty pathetic way) and berry farms and generous friends, we are enjoying the produce of the land rather abundantly this year.  I planted five pots of basil and have made batch after batch of heavenly homemade pesto with pine nuts and parmesan.  This mixed with rotini pasta with more freshly shredded parmesan, whole pine nuts, and dried cranberries is absolutely spectacular.

So, we all know that to buy local and pick fresh is the earth-friendly way to do things. It can also be cost-effective, if you pick things yourself and plan ahead, canning or freezing extra so you can enjoy all winter long.  Eating local produce can also be much healthier, as there is less travel time for food to lose valuable nutrients, and often food is organic without the expensive green sticker.  Supporting local farmers is also a worthwhile cause, and the joy of sharing produce–giving and receiving–brings people together.  Berry pick with a friend, get together to can or freeze fruit, make freezer jam (I’m scared of canning but freezing and freezer jam is super easy), or bake yummy berry breads and muffins and freeze them for quick treats reheated in the microwave.

Summer is the perfect time to skip the supermarket.  Buy it local, pick it fresh!