To you, your community, and the planet
Local apples are simply better by Melissa Rowe
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To reach Boston, an apple from Chile travels over 5000 food miles
’ s apple season! That time of year when flocks of people visit local orchards for a fun day of pick your own, cider donuts, and hayrides. They head home with bushels of apples, warm memories, content knowing that they’ ve supported their local grower.
But what about every other day of the year? Even though Massachusetts produces over 40 million pounds of apples each year, and every state in the country grows apples, we import apples at an alarming rate. The leading supplier is Chile, followed by New Zealand, Canada and Argentina.
That’ s a long way for an apple to travel; and with significant cost to our economy and our environment!
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Apples must be packaged carefully to prevent against bruising and damage … all this packaging creates waste
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Shipping via planes, trains, trucks, and / or ships consumes large amounts energy and pollutes our air and oceans.
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You have no way of knowing who grows, processes, ships or handles your produce
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Apples are typically picked unripe and treated with chemicals to slow the ripening process.
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And, the apples you are buying are at least 2 weeks old and by some reports, could be over a year old!
Contrast that with buying freshly harvested apples from a local grower; someone you can look in the eye and shake hands with. Apples that have traveled far fewer food miles, that don’ t require packaging, that are picked by hand when ripe. Apples that are not only better tasting, but that are better for you.
Sure, fresh apples won’ t be around forever … but they are probably here longer than you think.
❧❧ when stored properly, apples will keep for 6 months or more
❧❧ orchard and farm stores in MA generally stay open through the holidays
❧❧ local CSAs deliver apples through the winter months
And if you absolutely need an apple in the off season, make sure to check where your food is coming from.
Buy local. It’ s worth it!
GROW! BOSTON
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