Discovering Local Food I By Jessica Palmer food producers, vineyards, restaurants and retailers. All of these producers and distributors are listed on our website and in our annual Buy Fresh Buy Local guides, which help market their goods and inform consumers about what food products are offered in their area. While the website, www.BuyLocalVirginia.org, is accessible year round, the printed guide is an annual publication direct-mailed each spring to over 250,000 households in our three Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter regions, with more distributed to area businesses. Using this guide will help you find sources of local food to stock your fridge and pantry and support our Piedmont farms. Farmers’ Markets Most people are familiar with farmers’ markets—local venues where farms and other businesses set up to sell their products. While many farmers’ markets convene on Saturday mornings, more and more are opening during late-afternoon and evening hours to coincide with the after-work commute. Our Buy Fresh Buy Local guide lists over 30 farmers’ markets throughout the region, so be sure to search for the one closest to you and get to know your local farmers—by midseason, you’ll be friends. CSAs Another category listed in the guides is Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA). CSAs are a way for your family to get your weekly produce and other farm products while directly supporting a local farm. A family signs up for a CSA share at the beginning of a growing season. Since the farm receives the payment upfront, they are immediately able to invest in the seeds, equipment, and other materials needed to launch their production for the season. In return, your family receives a box of farm fresh products each week of the growing season (anywhere between 20 and 25 weeks), to be picked up either on-farm or at specific drop-off locations. The variety of products you receive each week changes throughout the season, and many farms offer recipes for less familiar items. While most CSAs revolve around vegetables, you can also find CSAs for meat, eggs, dairy, and even whole-diet. Check out the list of CSAs in Culpeper, Fauquier, and Loudoun counties at the end of this article. Retailers More and more local retailers are stocking products from our local farms, so make sure you ask for local when you’re out doing the weekly shopping. A little consumer encouragement goes a long way. On-farm Sales Many farms invite you to visit and purchase products on-site. This is a great way to learn more about your local farmers and their products. Remember, though, these are working farms—always call Local Food continued on page12 n my role as the Buy Fresh Buy Local Coordinator for The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), local food is an everyday topic of conversation. From discussions on how to encourage larger institutions to purchase locally or how to make the food distribution system more efficient, to conversations with farmers about a new ethnic vegetable variety or gourmet garlic, Buy Fresh Buy Local is all about strengthening our local food system so that it supports farmers and consumers alike. PEC’s Buy Fresh Buy Local chapters are part of the national non-profit, Food Routes Network, and the program is designed to promote our local food economy by connecting local farms with consumers. The three chapters managed by PEC—Loudoun County, Northern Piedmont, and Charlottesville Area— encompass eleven counties and over 600 farms, farmers’ markets, specialty 2013 • Issue 3 Piedmont Family Magazine 11