Eating local means more for the local economy. According to a study by the New Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every transaction.

Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a big- box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase. This freshness not only affects the taste of your food, but the nutritional value which declines with time.

Local food just plain tastes better. Ever tried a tomato that was picked within 24 hours? Enough said.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables have longer to ripen. Because the produce will be handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to stand up to the rigors of shipping. This means that you are going to be getting peaches so ripe that they fall apart as you eat them, figs that would have been smashed to bits if they were sold using traditional methods, and melons that were allowed to ripen until the last possible minute on the vine.

Eating local is better for air quality and pollution. In a March 2005 study by the journal Food Policy, it was found that the miles that food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage. This can outweigh the benefit of buying organic food if it has to travel great distances.

Buying local food keeps us in touch with the seasons. By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.

Buying locally grown food helps us feel connected to our food. Whether it's the farmer who brings local apples to market or the baker who makes local bread, knowing part of the story about your food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.

Eating local protects us from bio-terrorism. Food with less distance to travel from farm to plate has less susceptibility to harmful contamination.

Local food translates to more variety. When a farmer is producing food that will not travel a long distance, will have a shorter shelf life, and does not have a high-yield demand, the farmer is free to try small crops of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a large supermarket. Supermarkets are interested in selling "Name brand" fruit: Romaine Lettuce, Red Delicious Apples, Russet Potatoes. Local producers often play with their crops from year to year, trying out Little Gem Lettuce, Senshu Apples, and Chieftain Potatoes.

Supporting local providers supports responsible land development. When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.

Here is a list of resources to help you learn more about eating locally and also where to find local and organic food where you live:

Harvard Farmer's Market
Maynard Community Farmer's Market
Westford Farmers Market
Local Harvest
Heirloom Harvest Community Farm and CSA
Eat Local Challenge

Heirloom tomatoes are one of those simple joys of summer!



What Is an Heirloom Tomato?

"heir-loom [air-loom] -noun 1. A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations. [...] 3. A cultivar of a vegetable or fruit that is open-pollinated and is not grown widely for commercial purposes. An heirloom often exhibits a distinctive characteristic such as superior flavor or unusual coloration." --American Heritage Dictionary

What Makes Heirloom Tomatoes Better?

With a little research, I learned that not only are heirloom tomatoes far more flavorful, juicy, and rich than supermarket tomatoes, they are also more nutritious, packed full of vitamins and antioxidants that the more common hybrid supermarket varieties lack. They are fresher, too, almost always allowed to ripen on the vine instead of picked green. Why would anyone want to grow your average supermarket variety when heirlooms not only taste better but have more nutrition to them too? Well, that question is easily answered when the factors of economics and commercial farming come into play. Large-scale tomato farming needs tomatoes bred for maximum yield, transportability, disease resistance, and consistency of product. So their hybrid varieties are used for these ends, and often things like flavor and nutrition are lost to convenience.

Commercial hybrids have a thicker skin so that they are more resistant to bugs and can be bumped and tossed in their processing without bruising. The plants mature their fruit at the same rate so that they can all be harvested at the same time. They are picked green so that they can be shipped long distances. They are all the same size and color for product reliability and so that they fit consistently in sorting machines. Heirloom tomatoes avoid all of these negative effects, because they are usually only produced by small-scale farmers and home-growers on a local level. They are grown for flavor and ripeness and nutritional value rather than productivity and transportability. Granted, they have to be used faster, and they are much harder to grow, but the benefits far outweigh the downsides. Taste one. You'll see. You'll wish heirloom tomatoes were in season all year long.

Where Can You Get Heirloom Tomatoes?

Heirloom varieties of tomatoes can usually be found at farmers markets and natural food stores that sell locally grown produce during the summer months. If you have garden space, you can also grow your own! Seeds are available from many organic and heirloom farming catalogs and websites.

How Do You Use Heirloom Tomatoes?

Use heirloom tomatoes in any recipe where fresh tomatoes are used, especially if tomatoes are especially prominent in the dish or provide the main flavor of the dish. They are also wonderful topping a fresh leaf salad or completing a sandwich. Experiment and enjoy!

Prep Time: 5 minutes



Ingredients:
· Fresh local heirloom tomatoes
· Fresh basil leaves
· Fresh mozzarella (available in many supermarkets in the deli section - it is usually little white balls floating in water). Sometimes it is called buffalo mozzarella. Do not substitute regular mozzarella, which is a totally different product. You may also find this at your local farmer's market.
· Organic Extra-virgin olive oil
· Coarse sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange with the basil leaves on a plate.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the dish.
3. Drizzle with olive oil.
4. Enjoy!

Healthy Start Program
Kelly Bollman
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Healthy Balance Program
Kelly Bollman
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A 5 Class Series: An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Kelly Bollman
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Cleansing Program
Kelly Bollman
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Group Program: Health and Wellness
Jodi Cabral
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Meditation for Beginners
Donna Messina
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Meditation Support
Donna Messina
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September 9th
Maynard Road Race and Wellness Fest
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September 12th
Toxins and Your Health
Kelly Bollman
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September 16th
Open House
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September 18th
Gourmet Tasting Event
Kelly Bollman and Shelly Watson
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September 20th
Sugar Blues
Jodi Cabral
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September 26th
Cooking Class: Healthy Lunches for School and Work
Kelly Bollman
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September 27th
Movie: The Future of Foods
Kelly Bollman
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September 29th
Maynard Community Farmer's Market Wellness Series
Shelly Watson and Jodi Cabral
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October 4th
Class 1 of 5 An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Class 1: Nutrition Basics - Introducing a Healthy Whole Foods Diet
Kelly Bollman
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October 6th
Maynard Fest
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October 10th
Eating for Energy
Kelly Bollman
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October 17th
Cooking Class: Fall Soups
Kelly Bollman
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October 18th
Class 2 of 5 An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Class 2: Primary Food: How Things Other Than Food Affect Your Health
Kelly Bollman And Guest Practitioners
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October 20th
Maynard Downtown Wellness Day
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November 1st
Class 3 of 5 An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Class 3: Exercise: Exercise You Can Learn and Do Anywhere
Kelly Bollman and Guest Practitioners
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November 7th
Holiday Survival
Kelly Bollman
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November 15th
Class 4 of 5 An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Class 4: Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Introduction to Naturopathic Medicine, Acupuncture, Chiropractic Care and Massage
Kelly Bollman and Guest Practitioners
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November 28th
Cooking Class: Topic To Be Announced at a Later Date
Kelly Bollman
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November 29th
Class 5 of 5 An Introduction to Health and Wellness
Class 5: Healthy Cooking: Simple and Easy Tips for Healthy Eating
Kelly Bollman and Jodi Cabral
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December 2nd
Maynard Annual Christmas Parade
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December 12th
Cooking Class: Easy, Healthy Appetizers
Kelly Bollman
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