Eating With The Seasons: Fall Produce Guide

With health becoming a priority for most consumers, many are following the trend of eating seasonally. Although we are able to consume produce that is not in season, thanks to agriculture and modern technology, eating foods that are in season provide some benefits to the consumer.

Seasonal Produce May Vary By Region

Depending on regions and climates, in season produce grown and distributed in your area may be different from those in another region. Webstaurantstore.com's blog provides a wonderful guide as to what produce is in season where you live. If you like to cook with fresh, locally grown produce, this is the guide for you! Click Here!

There are different definitions of what is "seasonal"

Research published by the British Nutrition Foundation found that the term "seasonal foods" have varied definitions depending on the consumer. Brooks, Foster, Holmes & Wiltshire studied consumers understanding of seasonal foods and found that there are different perceptions of what seasonal food is.

1. The "Global" Definition: "Food that is outdoor grown or produced during the natural growing/production period for the country or region where it is produced. It need not necessarily be consumed locally to where it is grown". I In short, seasonal is not limited by geography but encompasses any food produced in its natural growing season anywhere in the world (1).

2. The "Consumer" Definition: Based on the consumer perspective, Seasonal=locality, where produce in season must also be local produce

Despite the two definitions, there are still benefits to eating foods grown in season*:

Produce Costs Are Less When In Season

When shopping for produce that is in season, you may find that costs are lower. Lutz describes that prices drop because supplies are plentiful at the peak of harvest while prices for individual fruits and vegetables are higher 'off season' when the only source may be from imports (2). If you've ever taken a intro to economics course, it is the basic concept of supply and demand.

It Benefits the Community

What better way to get your produce than from a local farmer? Most farmers' markets sell what is in season, and by purchasing produce from the local farmers' market, you're also supporting local farms/businesses. In addition, you may also ask to taste some of their produce before purchasing, which may be a weird thing to do in your local supermarket. Also, by purchasing from local farmers, you feel more connected to where your food is coming from, a benefit recognized by RD Danielle Michaels, MS, RD, LDN (3). And even then, you may also have the opportunity to ask how their produce is grown and what practices they use!

It Benefits the Environment*

One of the benefits commonly associated with seasonal eating that I found while researching was that eating produce in season reduces the carbon footprint by traveling fewer miles to get to your plate. Personally, as a student who questions everything, I wanted to find out the actual environmental implications of eating seasonal produce. I put an asterisk on this one because after reading an article written by the same researchers that provided two different definitions (see above), they found that this idea is actually not a good criterion for environmentally sustainable food purchasing and is a broad claim. Here's Why:

Brooks et al. (2011) provide a really great perspective on how consumers think eating seasonal foods benefits the environment and gives insight on why they think it does. They came to the conclusion that consumers tend to focus on energy input during the delivery of produce "embodied as 'food miles'" when discussing the benefits of seasonal foods, rather than on energy inputs during production. (a topic discussed in Ag 4010, if you haven't taken that course). These researchers state that this view is "contrary to the 'real' picture as energy and carbon are only one component of environmental sustainability and the main burden of environmental impact falls on production rather than transport" (1).

With this being said, they reference the part of the article which provided readers with two definitions of "seasonal foods"; one being the global definition and the other being the consumer's definition (see above). They state that the environmental impact of consuming foods "locally in season" may provide lower or higher environmental impacts, depending on the definition. This is why the claim of consumption of in season produce is considered broad.

"Based on the case studies, sourcing food from across the globe that is "in season" and produced during its natural growing period will, in some cases, have a lower environmental impact than sourcing food produced "out of season" but locally. Similarly, sourcing food for the UK that has been produced "in season" will, in some cases give rise to lower environmental impacts than importing "out of season" produce, but in some cases it will not"

To sum it up, these researchers from the UK recognize that the definition of environmentally sustainable food is multidimensional and that there are "trade offs" between the different types of environmental impact. Therefore, there are many ways that consumption of in season produce can affect the environment, and not just by decreasing the distance from the farm to the table.

Where Can You Find Seasonal Produce?

There are a variety of ways that you can obtain seasonal produce.

1. Farmers' Markets: As mentioned above, buying from farmers markets not only provides you with seasonal produce but also supports local farms. The California Department of Food and Agriculture provides a list of Certified Farmers' Markets by County that has been updated as of the 1st of this month. View the list here!

2. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs: The USDA provides a directory of farms that offer regular deliveries of locally grown farm products on a subscription or membership basis. Check out the directory here!

3. CPP Poly Pack: The CPP Poly Pack is a CSA program which showcases what students are doing and growing on campus! Produce in each pack depend on the availability and the season. For more info, click here!

Here is a list of what's in season:

Nathalie Mendez

Food Digest Chair

Sources:

1. Brooks, M., Foster, C., Holmes, M., & Wiltshire, J. (2011). Does consuming seasonal foods benefit the environment? Insights from recent research. Nutrition Bulletin, 36(4), 449–453. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-3010.2011.01932.x

2. Measuring the True Costs of Fruits and Vegetables to American Consumers. (2011). [PDF File]. Retrieved from: http://efnep.ucanr.edu/files/86477.pdf

3. Michael, D. (2018, March 15). Five benefits of eating seasonal produce. Retrieved from https://www.mountnittany.org/articles/five-benefits-of-eating-seasonal-produce.