Somerset Environment Committee
Think Local!
The Environment Committee's Think Local! group promotes a point of view that starts most easily with thinking about buying locally grown food but can grow in unexpected ways if you let it. So let’s add water and try...
The most local food is a vegetable or herb garden. And speaking of gardens and moving to flowers, native (local) plants are best adapted to our region and need fewest resources to maintain them. Eating in local restaurants and preferring those with local foods helps the environment too. Supporting local merchants keeps dollars in the community and reduces gas consumption. Try a local beer or wine. Maybe visit the winery! When traveling look for the local coffee house or restaurant and celebrate the differences that a Think Local! attitude can sustain. Or look for the local farm market and enjoy what that region brings to its tables. Anyway we welcome your thoughts on where Think Local! takes you. You can e-mail Robin Barr. Be warned: Your thoughts might be posted on this site!
Why think local?
Local is where we live, and buying local supports our local economy. Buying locally grown food keeps local farmers in business. Locally grown food travels less (less gas, less refrigeration, less cost) and tastes better!
When we buy local, we eat in season, the way our bodies were designed. Buying locally mean we travel less. Sometimes we can even leave the car behind and sneak in a little exercise.
Where do I buy local produce?
First the basics:
Twin Springs Fruit Farm Market: Outside the Friendship Heights Community Center: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Saturdays, May through Thanksgiving.
Twin Springs is not an organic farm. This article from National Geographic’s, The Green Guide discusses some of the advantages and disadvantages of local or organic foods and arms readers with good questions to ask local farmers about what they use on their crops: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/116/local
The Big Cheese:
Fresh Farm Markets: The best known of these is the Dupont Circle market that is open Sunday mornings throughout the year. It is definitely the other place to be on Sunday mornings!
Lots of other local markets operate seasonally or year round. Some of the sites below will allow you to zero in on the ones in our area. Be sure to check out the web sites for the markets. Sometimes locations and times differ from what is shown in the guide.
Beyond visiting the local farm market:
Though you may not know it, this region is surrounded by small farms and many are organic. The easiest way to enjoy straight-from-the-farm produce beyond shopping at Farmers’ Markets, is to sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). A CSA is a farm, whose community members pay a seasonal fee and receive a weekly box or basket of that week's harvest (20-25 weeks). A typical CSA delivery has enough fresh fruits and veggies (sometimes eggs, dairy, jams, and other goodies) for a hungry family of 4. You can learn more about CSAs at: http://www.biodynamics.com/csa.html
Learn more about Eating Local:
http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.html
Maryland CSA Programs:
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