It's Farmers' Market Season!! Plus! The Benefits of Eating Local!

    Yay! It's farmers' market season! I love walking around outside on a sunny day shopping for fresh, local produce and finding unique small businesses along the way. I believe in the slow and local food movement. After taking a sociology class in college called the McDonaldization of Society, in which we read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, I was disgusted with what fast food restaurants were doing to our nation's small farms and our waistlines. I am proud that our nation is fighting back. Taco Bell and Pizza Hut just announced that they are no longer putting artificial ingredients in their food. (Although, I don't eat at those establishments). Chipotle is anti-GMO. Consumers drive the industry. Although, I prefer to cook food at home. Fast food does not have to be highly processed. You can make a salad in five minutes. You can wash a piece of fruit in 10 seconds and eat it. To take your health to a whole new level, imagine knowing exactly how your tomato thrived by growing it yourself in your backyard. When I studied the French Paradox (why the French have lower rates of cardiovascular disease despite their high intake of butter) in France, I discovered the French ate local food and frequented open-air markets. They see meals as events and appreciate food quality over quantity.

   Alas, I am going to try and spotlight farmers' markets all over the Chicagoland area and highlight allergy friendly businesses. Here is the schedule for Chicagoland farmers' markets. My first farmers' market of the season was the Logan Square market. They are open on Sunday from 10 am- 3 pm. They have an amazing spread with ripe, juicy, cherry tomatoes; intoxicating French bread; rich chocolate; Amazing Kale Burgers; beautiful vegan baked goods; Indian sauce I want to bathe in; and gorgeous rainbows of flowers. While I was there, I bought asparagus, swiss chard, vegan chili beans with spices, Vindaloo sauce, and balsamic vinegar. The following is a list of vendors with allergy friendly products. Having to cook dairy and soy free, the farmers market and produce section of the grocery store are my favorite sections. I don't have to read labels!

• The Amazing Kale Burger: Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, soy-free (http://www.amazingkaleburger.com/)
• Bot Bakery: Vegan bakery (dairy-free, egg-free) (https://www.facebook.com/botbakery)
• Products featured at Belli's Juice Bar in Pilsen, Dill Pickle Food Co-op and FoodSmart in Logan Square
• D-ology bakerty to Mindful Baking: Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), Gluten-free (http://d-ology.com/wordpress/)
• SpiceMode: Vegan (dairy-free, egg-free), gluten-free, soy-free (http://www.spicemode.co/)
• Paleo Scavenger: Dairy-free, soy-free, grain-free (http://paleoscavenger.com/)
• Spark of the Heart: Dairy-free, soy-free(http://www.sparkoftheheart.com/)

(Courtesy of Bot Bakery Facebook page)

(Courtesy of SpiceMode)

What are the benefits of going to farmers' markets?

Health:

• Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables. This group of women who shopped at farmers' markets were more likely to consumer five or more fruits and vegetables a day.
• The social interaction and community farmers' markets exude.
• In two national studies, researchers found the more direct farm sales, the lower the rates of mortality, obesity, and diabetes.
• Potentially, there is more nutritional content in local food due to the shortened time between harvest and sale. 

Environmental:

• Reducing the distance food travels decreases fossil fuel consumption, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Economic:

• Increased profit for farmers who get to sell directly to you.
• Cost savings for consumers when they bought directly from farmers.

BONUS: Totally Easy Dairy-free, Soy-free, Peanut-free, Egg-free, Vegan Ice Cream:

Take 2 frozen bananas, 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries, 1/4 -1/2 cup of non-dairy milk (depending on if you want the ice cream thicker or thinner)

Voila:

References:

1. http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/resources/guides/research-based-support-for-local-food-systems.pdf
2. Ahern, Melissa, Cheryl Brown, and Stephen Dukas. 2011. “A National Study of the Association between Food Environments and County-Level Health Outcomes.” The Journal of Rural Health 27(4): 367-379. 
3. Cooley, J.P. and D.A. Lass. 1998. “Consumer Benefits from Community Supported Agriculture Membership.” Review of Agricultural Economics 20(1): 227-37. 
4. Edwards-Jones, Gareth. 2010. “Does Eating Local Food Reduce the Environmental Impact of Food Production and Enhance Consumer Health?” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 69: 582-591. 
5. Favell, D.J. 1998. “A Comparison of the Vitamin C Content of Fresh and Frozen Vegetables.” Food Chemistry 62(1)59-64. 
6. Hunt, A. 2007. “Consumer Interactions and Influences on Farmers’ Market Vendors.” Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22(1): 54-66. 
7. Leone, Luca A., Diane Beth, Scott B. Ickes, Kathleen MacGuire, Erica Nelson, Robert Andrew Smith, Deborah F. Tate, and Alice S. Ammerman. 2012. “Attitudes Toward Fruit and Vegetable Consumption and Famers’ Market Usage Among Low-Income North Carolinians.” Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 7(1): 64-76.