Eating Healthy in RVC

Shop every Sunday through November at the  The Rockville Centre Farmers' Market — a lovely, welcoming environment for farm fresh local produce and eggs, locally caught seafood, baked goods, breads, homemade pastas, pickles, cheeses, sustainable meat and poultry, Long Island wine and much more. I love the personal touch that you find there. The vendors really get to know their customers, their preferences and what time to expect them on Sunday.

Ethel Terry, coordinator for the Long Island Growers Market said, "The market creates a home town event each week." Ethel and Fred Terry own Fred Terry Farms in Orient Point. It's interesting to note that this family-run farm is the oldest one in New York State. While so many Long Island farms have gradually been sold to developers, this farm has been in Fred's family for more than 300 years.

Eight Benefits to Eating Locally:

• It's all in the taste. Local flavor-packed produce is picked at peak ripeness when phytonutrients are at the highest level. Conversely, factory farm produce often travels thousands of miles before arriving at your table, is picked prematurely, and is treated with chemicals to artificially ripen and preserve it. Which tomato do you want to eat?
• Your body thrives with seasonal nutrient dense fresh fare. When you upgrade your diet with seasonal fare, your body can run at peak performance. In the summer, your body requires hydration, so quench your thirst with cucumbers and watermelons.
• Savor the flavor and see what cooks your fancy! There is nothing like fresh produce to inspire tasty seasonal meals that encourage healthy eating and less binging on processed foods. Get your sugar fix from delicious ripe melons or corn on the cob.
• Shop smart and save. Find extremely reasonable prices that actually offer you savings on quality food that stays fresher for longer.
• Lower exposure to toxins. According to the U.S.D.A., locally grown food is the fastest rising segment of the agricultural market. Michael Pollen, author of Food Rules said, "This shift stems from concerns about the heavy-handed use of chemicals on large industrial farms."
• Promote food safety. The fewer steps there are between your food's source and your table, the less chance there is of contamination. For instance, if you purchased farm fresh eggs, you could avoid salmonella scares like the massive egg recall taking place now. Likewise, avoid chemicals, antibiotics and hormones by eating sustainable meat, poultry and fresh caught seafood.
• Reduce the carbon footprint. Local farming practices are gentler on the environment and eliminate shipping costs and excessive packaging.
• Know your food and build community. It's key to learn where your food comes from, how it is grown and who grows it. Food tastes better when you have a connection to it. Shopping at the market fosters relationships with shoppers, vendors, friends and neighbors.