they call them locavores- people who choose to eat seasonal, local produce.  today i’m kicking off a new series about eating local produce, where i’ll share with you a weekly recipe using local yummies!  first you may ask, why eat local? well, there are tons of reasons, the simplest of which is that it just makes sense.  the average mileage of your food, (we’ll call this farm to fork mileage) is 1500 to 3000 miles, and that’s a lot of fossil fuel! when produce has to travel so far, much of it is picked while still unripe then gassed to ‘ripen’ it after transport, or it is processed in factories with preservatives and the like.  scientists are even experimenting with genetic modification to produce less perishable produce.

by purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles, your food dollar goes directly to the farmer, and your family will be able to enjoy the health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. buying seasonal produce also provides an exciting opportunity to try new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes.

the good news is, local produce is usually easy to find and it simply tastes better because it’s fresher!

above is a list of the veggies you’ll find at your spring farmers market. remember that certain crops and harvest dates depend on the climate and your region, so this is just a rough outline (check out this regional seasonality guide for your area).  as you can see, spring is almost over, but i’m going to post a recipe next week anyways and then introduce to you your summer guide! i’ve also made this list in pdf format, so you can print it out and keep with you while your shopping or scouring for recipes.

download the seasonal spring vegetable guide

 
 
recommended reading

read my favorite book and get incredibly inspired to eat locally with animal, vegetable, miracle.

find local, organic and sustainable food in your area with the eat well guide search.

learn about eating more sustainably and find recipes at the sustainable table.

join the eat more local food initiative at eat local, america!

{resources: the sustainable table, cuesa sustainability}

wrap up: {eating local} {locavore} {seasonal vegetables} {spring} {sustainable}

please welcome, guest poster: modish

I’ve always really loved the rain, which I suppose is a good thing since I live in notoriously rainyland Portland, OR. Living here, it’s easy to see all the wonderful effects that the wet weather brings- crazy amounts of green, varieties of foliage the likes of which I’ve never seen before and flowers- so many flowers. From March all the way through the last breath of autumn there’s something in bloom. So I gathered up some rain inspired creations for you hoping that they’ll help bring you lots of April showers so you can enjoy all those beautiful May flowers :)

Rain print, Sandra Juto
brooch & necklace set
rain drop earrings
turquoise rain mobile
rainy day letterpress card
umbrellas in the rain print

guest post by: modish

wrap up: {flowers} {guest post} {jena} {modish} {rain} {spring}

even though it was pouring snow on monday, the high today is 72 and i’m simply sprung about spring!  yes, enough to where i even made some hand squeezed lemonade, yum.

recipe:

1 cup of lemon juice

1 cup of sugar (i put a dash more, i like mine sweet!)

the squeeze of one lime

6 cups of cool water

stir until the sugar has dissolved, kick back, and relax!

today was also the first day that i was able to pick flowers from my yard, a splash of homegrown yellow goes a long way!

{photos: bonnie forkner}

wrap up: {flowers} {gladening} {lemon} {lemonade} {spring} {sugar}

did you know that for the nothern hemisphere, tomorrow is the first day of spring? though i love to hibernate, i have to admit, i’m so excited for warm weather, gardening, sandals and skirts!  i had been planning to stay here this weekend to get some deep cleaning done, and when i realized it was the first day of spring, i laughed to myself.  so, here are some beautiful ways to kick off your spring cleaning! 1 :: delovely dish gloves. gardening gloves. – $16.95 2 :: dream dot ironing board cover – $24 3 :: upcycled laundry sack – $20 4 :: cotton swiffer cover – $4 5 :: natural wool dryer balls – $14.95 6 :: kitchen dish scrubber - $3 7 :: spring cleaning to do list cards – set of 20 – $10 8 :: paisley clothespin bag – $5.50 9 :: linen bucket – apple and chocolate - $30 10 :: harvest collection – set of 5 – $17 1 :: owls naturals oatmeal soap – $3.50 2 :: room spray – rain 40z - $5.95 3 :: bellaboogie winter mint room & fabric refresher spray – $4 4 :: ultra concentrated all purpose cleaner – $10 5 :: citrus splash air freshener – $8 6 :: laundry detergent/fabric softener - $16.25 7 :: clean laundry scented laundry detergent – $6 8 :: spearmint eucalyptus olive oil soap – $4.50 9 :: fresh aromatherapy sprays – $6 happy weekend, and i look forward to seeing you back here on monday! how do you plan to start your spring season?

wrap up: {clean} {cleaning} {detergent} {green} {laundry} {soap} {spring}

alas, we meet another friday!  i’ve had a good week here chatting with all of you, haven’t you? i’m sharing with you today my latest web-window browsing obsession, cox & cox!

clockwise :: oak boot rack, beehouse, citronella candles, seedling paper pot press

clockwise :: towel ladder, three hyacinth bulb vases, herb scissors, herb and flower dryer

clockwise :: travel gift tags, number cookie cutters, little button jar, alphabet stamps

clockwise :: heads and tails, world map wallpaper, sparkling mike, mr. p tape dispenser

they have a little something for everyone, don’t they?  with a simplistic approach to design and function, it seems i could find stuff to spruce up my tiny homestead all day!  enjoy browsing the many pages of cox & cox, they will surely get you in the mood for spring!

xoxo!

wrap up: {catalog} {children} {cox & cox} {craft} {garden} {home} {spring}

{the flower field – ant view – carlsblad, california}

clockwise :: kitty tote bag, vintage map necklace, ribble de bibble mugs, lily pad felt bowl, mating ritual – james’s flamingo, burp cloth and wash set

i believe i’ve sprung for spring.

wrap up: {flowers} {garden} {green} {pink} {spring}

we meet another friday! we’re off to greenville again this weekend- and i’ll be busy catching up on some sunshine and good reading.  i just got my ‘spring reading’ books this week and i’m so eager to get started on them!

my reading list: less is more, keeping bees, simply in season, beekeeping, the backyard homestead, fresh from the farmers market

keeping bees & beekeeping

why beekeeping? that’s a good question.  i read a snippet about it lately and next i knew i was in the beekeeping section in barnes and noble.  after that? the checkout line.

simply in season & fresh from the farmers market

i’m always looking for new in-season recipes, i’m excited to start folding some doggie ears!

the backyard homestead & less is more

i’ve heard really good things about the backyard homestead, so i planning to start with that one.  plus, i’m itching for spring and yard work so this will really get me motivated! have you heard of less is more? it’s a compilation of articles written by sustainable, positive-thinking writers.  it’s supposed to be a real pick-me-up!

have you read any of these?  what are your spring must-reads?

wrap up: {beekeeping} {books} {homestead} {in season} {less is more} {reading} {recipes} {spring}

don’t you just love feel good art?  the peach pit has been making me feel happy all weekend.  her art is all so springy, fresh and pretty- for some reason, it just puts a little pep in my step!  to go along with her feel good art, she’s also got a feel good blog. have fun visiting her world, and remember- each day is new!

wrap up: {art} {feel good} {floral} {inspiration} {spring}