Fresh from Florida: Why You Should Shop Local

Sharing is caring!

Over the weekend the kids and I headed out to our local farmer’s market to stock up on some fresh fruits and vegetables. A couple of the local farms are always present with a such a fresh assortment to choose from. I love getting the kids involved in picking out our produce because I feel like it gets them more excited and eager to try new things when they’re involved from start to finish. Plus I love to show them the importance of why you should shop local fresh ingredients. It not only taste amazing, but allows them to associate a friendly face behind the foods they’re eating. They’re always offered samples of berries to try which of course they love!

This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central, however all opinions expressed are my own.

One of the best things about living in Florida is that the climate doesn’t get too cold making it easier to grow a larger variety of produce. A few weeks back we took a trip to one of those local farms and went strawberry picking! If you haven’t tried a strawberry fresh from the vine you really must! Once a strawberry is picked, or any fruit/vegetable for that matter, it loses flavor and nutrients the longer it takes to transport from farm to store and ultimately your table.

We are really looking forward to April when the blueberries ripen. We spoke to one of the farmers and she said they were coming in now, but still a little too tart. If you want to check out a list of seasonal availability check out the Fresh from Florida website.

So why should you opt for Fresh from Florida produce? Well for one our Florida farmers make it easy for us to consume fresh produce year-round and we get to in turn support their business and families. Ultimately it builds a stronger community and a connection between the eater and the grower. If you’re impacted by money, cutting out the middle-man (the grocer) saves you money and allows a farmer to make full profit and continue growing and producing high-quality foods. As a bonus the color and flavor just can’t be beat.

Some of our favorite winter month foods are (of course) strawberries, avocados, and tomatoes. The recipes are endless with these fresh ingredients. Speaking of recipes…be sure to check back here next month when I share one of our favorite family recipes using Fresh from Florida ingredients.

Check out this video of Isabella getting involved in the cleaning process! So cute!