Help Yourself & Your Community – Eat Local
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With spring around the corner, sunshine and shorts aren’t the only thing that Richmond County has to look forward to. Spring brings fresh local produce for Richmond County residents to purchase.
As you may know, increasing your fruit and vegetable intake can significantly decrease your likelihood of many chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. Additionally, fruits and vegetables are low in calories, so if you’re trying to show off your bathing suit body this summer, eating more fruits and vegetables may help you to lose weight by satisfying your appetite with fewer calories. Sadly, only about 20% of Richmond County residents eat the recommended two or more servings of fruit daily, and only about 10% eat 3 or more servings of vegetables per day.
Local produce is even better for health than store-bought produce because it is picked at peak ripeness, guaranteeing the highest nutrient (vitamins and minerals) value. You also may find yourself and your family eating more servings because being picked at full ripeness makes it taste better. For some items, like peaches and tomatoes, the taste is way better! Produce that needs to be shipped a long way has to be picked before the full flavor and sweetness has developed.
Buying local produce isn’t just great for your health; it is also great for our local economy. Buying local produce helps local money recycle through the local economy. According to research done by Iowa State University, every dollar spent on local food will generate $1.40 back into the local economy, which may help economic development, especially in rural areas like Richmond County.
Another positive effect of buying local is to decrease our carbon footprint. In other words, if you buy local produce, you are reducing the number of miles that the produce has to be shipped, which in turn reduces the carbon dioxide and air pollution produced by shipping (i.e., trucks, planes or boats).
Our county offers many ways to get your hands on fresh, local produce. Here are a few:
- Farm stands such as The Berry Patch, Bynum’s Orchards, Golden Leaf Farms and Triple L Farm.
- The Rockingham Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Harrington Square, downtown Rockingham and on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30 – 6 p.m. at 125 Caroline St.
- Rockingham Farm & Flea Market every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. 220, 827 W US 74 Hwy, Rockingham, NC 28379. At this large flea market, the famers are to the far right.
- Community Supported Agriculture – a less traditional way to get fresh, local produce. Each participant pays a weekly or biweekly fee to receive a box of local produce. For more into, contact Davon Goodwin at 910-992-8176 or DavonG@sanhillsag.com
- Hitchcock Creek Community Garden – Reviving in 2021! Grow your own produce in a raised bed plot for a minimal seasonal cost. See Hitchcock Creek Community Garden for more info.
- Grow your own vegetables and fruit in your yard! Residential Horticulture Agent Paige Burns Clark is available to assist you. lpburns@ncsu.edu
The Cooperative Extension strives to provide research-based information for local community members to empower and better their lives. Contact us at 910-997-8255 for further information about nutrition, gardening and local foods.