Generally, we can get any fruits or vegetables at any time in the grocery store. The produce shelves are stocked with tomatoes, cucumbers, strawberries, grapes, and other foods year round. If we can enjoy what we want exactly when we want it, why would anyone choose to “eat seasonally”?
To “eat seasonally” means to only eat fruits and vegetables at the time of year that they naturally grow and ripen in our region.
Most people think of asparagus and rhubarb as spring products, watermelon and sweet corn as summer treats, and apples and pumpkins as fall foods. Besides signature items like these, it’s easy to assume other fruits and vegetables are available year-round because we find them on the grocery store shelves at any time. But most produce that we eat has a season (or two) in which it naturally grows here in Wisconsin.
(The Upper Fox Local Food and Farm Guide has a list of local items and their respective seasons.)
Why eat seasonally?
So why should you eat seasonally?
1. Fresher and More Flavorful
Have you noticed that the tomatoes you get from the grocery store in the winter are usually mealy and lack flavor? Similarly, strawberries bought in winter don’t have their signature wonderful sweetness.
This lack of flavor and subpar texture is likely the result of unideal growing conditions or long transportation. For examples, tomatoes need lots of sun and hot weather to thrive. This means to grow them in winter, they must be grown in spaces with extra lights and heat. Or they’re grown in warmer climates and shipped here to Wisconsin. This requires tomatoes to be picked while still green so they are harder and can withstand all the bumps of packaging and transportation. They ripen on the journey or in a facility before they get to the grocery store shelf.
In contrast, seasonal produce is harvested at its peak ripeness, meaning fruits and vegetables have better flavor and texture. Since it’s grown in your area, it doesn’t have to travel long distances, offering ultimate freshness and deliciousness.
2. Higher Nutritional Value
Produce grown in the right season with the right elements and allowed to ripen naturally will have a higher nutrient value than those grown out of season, packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Fruits and vegetables begin to lose nutrients as soon as they are picked. Buying local, in-season produce means you are getting fresh foods that are often picked in the last 24 hours and have more of their nutrients.
Eating seasonally helps fuel your body and mind!
3. Lower Environmental Impact
Out-of-season produce requires extra energy to create the right growing conditions. Or it must be shipped from a place with a warmer climate which emits greenhouse gases. Research shows that global food systems account for 30% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions and the transportation of fruits and vegetables contribute to 36% of those food miles (Source: European Commission).
This means those who eat seasonally and locally are mindful of the environmental impact of tropical foods like bananas and papayas. These cannot be grown here in Wisconsin and must be flown and trucked long distances to get to us, often shipped internationally.
That’s not to say you can’t enjoy a pineapple or coconut, because we know they’re delicious. It simply means prioritizing local fruits and vegetables as much as possible. In fact, while diving into our wonderful variety of local produce, you may discover something you’ve never tried before and make it your new favorite.
4. Support Local Farmers
We have many local farmers growing a wide range of seasonal foods. By choosing to buy local, you are supporting their business and family. This means they can continue farming, preserving our Wisconsin agriculture heritage. Every year, our state loses thousands of acres of farmland, so supporting our farmers preserves the land that grows our food.
Purchasing seasonal fruits and vegetables from local sources also keeps money in our local economy and strengthens our community food system. A resilient food system means greater food security and less impact to our community from disturbances in the fragile, global food supply chain.
FoxRAP is working to make eating local and supporting our local farmers easier than ever. Also, check out our Beginner’s Guide to Finding Local Food for more details.
Seasonal Eating Challenge
Eating seasonally means you get fresher, tastier, and more nutritious food that requires fewer energy inputs and supports our local farmers.
How can you get started?
Join our FoxRAP Veg Pledge!
For the month of September, our community will eat 3 spotlighted local and in-seasonal vegetables each week. We’ll be sharing recipes, fun facts, videos and pictures of our community’s creations throughout.
It’s free to join and anyone can take the Veg Pledge. This is a fun campaign to support local farmers, enjoy the abundance of our growing season, and eat healthier.
If you are able to donate, your gift helps us bring healthy local food to more people. Every gift, big or small, makes a difference!.
Foxhead Regenerative Agriculture Project 
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