Although we have an area for a garden, we are too arthritic to tend to anything more than a few tomato plants. How do we take advantage of summer's fresh produce and avoid the big food stores? Gram and Gramps

Dear Gram and Gramps,

I understand your love for fresh-from-the-vine tomatoes, but you have other options for summer's bounty as well that don't have to include the supermarkets.

I was amazed to see a chain grocery recently advertise a blue starburst symbol as a way to find "the freshest apples grown year-round from all over the world." Only consumers who aren't aware of the energy costs to bring those apples to the lakes area would be interested in that purchase. If the apples come from all over the globe, how can they possibly be the freshest?

You're wise to buy locally. You get to know the people who plant the crops. You get the best nutrition because they grow foods for taste and color rather than for ease of transport and shelf life.

Buying locally keeps your food dollars in the community. It also eliminates transportation costs and packaging. I read somewhere that the average meal travels 1,500 miles to get to the dinner plate; that's a lot of fossil fuel! So not only do you help yourself, but you help the local community and the environment as well by eating locally.

Because you have a garden area, consider letting someone else use it. Do you know a younger family without garden space who would use your soil and share the harvest? Consider people in groups to which you already belong. This could be a way to get to know people better and get some of the produce you want. It's still not too late to plant most crops.

Community supported agriculture is another option. Local farmers use money from shareholders to raise crops. These growers are committed to sustainable agriculture. Then once a week during the growing season, shareholders get their portion of that week's produce.

Farmers' markets are the obvious choice for folks who want fresh, local produce. We're fortunate to have an abundance of them in our area.

Most are open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and produce is picked early in the morning on the day of sale. Grocery stores can seldom match that kind of freshness.

Talk to the farmer about the methods used to raise the crop. Some are chemical free. Also, no chemicals are used during transport, and because there's no warehouse storage, no gases are used to keep the crop from ripening too quickly.

Finally, while arthritis may keep you from getting down on your hands and knees, consider growing as much of your own as you can. Physicians recommend physical exercise as a way to lubricate arthritic joints. Green beans grow all summer with just water and a hoe to keep the weeds in check, and they can be picked standing up!

Hopefully, these ideas will allow you to have a summer of healthful eating as well as some food for preserving.

Resources

Community supported agriculture

Dewayne and Ann Morgan, Lakes and Valleys CSA, 11059 County 14, Park Rapids MN 56470, (218) 732-4866 sgmorg@wcta.com

Collecting from multiple farms

The Green Scene, Walker MN, Theresa at (218) 556-3980.

Farmers' markets

Baxter, Fridays, 371 in Gander Mountain parking lot.

Brainerd, Tuesdays, Washington Street East by Franklin Arts Center.

Crosslake, Wednesdays at Town Square.

Hackensack, Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, 371 between ReMax & Countryside Coop.

Nisswa, Thursdays in the American Legion parking lot.

Pequot Lakes, Saturdays, 371 in the Oasis parking lot.

Online resources

www.mda.state.mn.us/food/minnesotagrown/