Why buy vegetables in season? These days, you can buy any type of vegetable all year round – thanks to cheap transportation and global trade. But we believe that growing or buying in‐season veg is so much better than buying imported, plastic‐wrapped vegetables from the supermarket. That’s why we have devoted Vegetable Expert to growing and enjoying seasonal vegetables. But if you’re not completely convinced, here are three reasons to buy vegetables in season.
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1: Save Money and Eat Well
This is the most convincing reason for many people! Some vegetables can be half the price when they’re in season. Start shopping at a local grocer and you’ll discover that in‐season fruit and veg are plentiful and economical. It’s simply because their supply rises, and the grocer is able to buy from growers at more competitive prices.
You can save even more money by using old‐fashioned preserving techniques, or freezing your favourite vegetables when they’re in season. Explore the site to discover more economical ways to store vegetables.
Although buying vegetables in‐season will limit your choices, you might be surprised by the diversity that British growers can now offer. Polytunnels and greenhouses allow us to extend the growing seasons on many crops, and there is always enough variety for farm box schemes to pack in several types of vegetable every week. Give it a try!
2: Support Your Local Economy
Although supermarkets are experts in haggling with world farmers to pay the lowest prices possible for their produce, exported vegetables aren’t always as economical as they seem.
By choosing to buy exported vegetables, you are making the choice to support another country’s economy. You may be supporting businesses that keep employees below the poverty line. But you are certainly sending the pound out of the country – denying our local businesses the chance to grow and offer you more choice and a better service.
Supporting the British and even better, your local county’s, economy means that you are making a conscious choice to help local businesses to grow. Our food production industry is governed by strict standards and minimum wage laws that ensure fair conditions, high quality produce, and accurate labelling. By supporting the local economy, you are allowing small traders to start up and flourish – promoting more choice and better prices for your local community.
3: Save Global Energy
There is a lot of talk about ‘food miles’ in the media right now. What does it mean?
‘Food miles’ is a measurement of how far your food has travelled to reach you. It is a way of understanding how much energy, waste and money has been used to deliver your vegetables. For each mile the produce has travelled, it’s caused the consumption of fuel and the emission of carbon.
But be careful. ‘Food miles’ can sometimes be misleading. This is because strawberries originating in your own county are sometimes transported from grower to warehouse to supermarket before travelling to your home. But looking at the label, you might think they’d been freshly picked 5 miles away that very morning. So ‘food miles’ alone aren’t always an accurate indication of distance.
However, food grown nearby is better than imported food because it means there’s been less energy consumed, less carbon waste, and less damage caused to the produce. The very best way to ensure that your food has not travelled for miles is to buy from local retailers, especially those who are able to cite the origin of every crop. Look for signs in your grocer’s that provide details about the growers. That way you’ll be able to buy food that’s local AND fresh.
