WPG Health Update: Get Jersey Fresh
With the weather getting warmer, one of the best things of living in the Garden State has got to be the fresh produce. You can go anywhere in the country and buy produce from any supermarket, but here in South Jersey we have farmers markets in almost every town.
Jersey Fresh is a program that was launched in 1984 to help farmers inform consumers about the availability and variety of fruits and vegetables grown in New Jersey. Through the many years of the program, consumers' awareness has increased, and it has become the benchmark for other states to initiate their own state-grown agricultural marketing programs.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture has continually worked to bring Jersey Fresh to all who want it, by working with restaurants, schools, colleges, big box stores, local communities, hotels, hospitals and more.
Getting your produce from a local source ensures that it is fresh and usually has less pesticides if any at all. There are lots of benefits to buying local just scroll down to read more.
- Viktor Fischer - Think Stock
Viktor Fischer - Think Stock 1Locally Grown Produce Tastes Better!
Locally grown food is picked when it's ripe and ready instead of being harvested early to be shipped out to grocery stores. This can make a huge difference in taste and freshness of your food.
- igorkopakov - Think Stock
igorkopakov - Think Stock 2Local Produce Has More Nutrients
Since there is much less time between the food being picked and being put on your plate they retain much more nutrients oppose to food that sits on trucks and store shelves for day or even weeks.
- Comstock - Think Stock
Comstock - Think Stock 3Buying Local Helps the Local Economy
The money you spend on locally grown food goes right back into the local economy which will support all local businesses and helps keep money in your community.
- Catalin Petolea - Think Stock
Catalin Petolea - Think Stock 4Local Produce is Safer to Eat
Since local produce spends less time sitting around and traveling there is a much less chance of contamination. Most produce in a supermarket spends a lot of time on the road and has a much higher chance of becoming contaminated compared to locally grown food.
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