One of my favorite things about visiting the farmers' market is seeing the changes in the products they offer as the growing season progresses. Where I live, local peaches are starting to show up. I'm so glad, because in addition to enjoying plenty of fresh peaches, I'm going to slice and freeze quite a few. They're just delicious when they're still partially frozen. I also love grilling peaches and then sprinkling them with some cinnamon and serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. (I know, I know... the ice cream is bad. But it's oh so good!)

Self Magazine posted some new healthy recipes for products you might find in the farmers' market now. Their recipe for roasted plums and greek yogurt sounds delicious. Perhaps it will be a healthier substitution for my grilled peaches and ice cream.

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Organic has finally gone mainstream and more than ever, shoppers are using their food dollars to support sustainable living. Over at Slashfood, Marisa recently pointed us to a terrific quiz from The Green Guide about choosing organic foods. Making the best organic food choices doesn't always mean just shopping at Whole Foods or reading the claims on the front of the packages. If you really want to test your knowledge and see how much you know about organic foods, go take the quiz. You'll learn why organic peaches are a better use of your food dollars than organic bananas, and why you should extend your local eating habits past the growing season. How did you do?

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I've just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. If you've every wondered why what we eat has such a huge impact on environmental issues, then I recommend you run (or walk or bike) to your nearest library and pick up a copy. It's a beautifully written book, but its value lies in the unbelievable amount of great information packed into its pages.

Why eat local? Here are eight reasons to get you started:

1. Taste: Food that's picked when it's ripe -- and that doesn't have to travel -- just tastes better.
2. Community mindedness: Your dollar goes directly to the farmer who grew your dinner.
3. Safety: No imports, potentially fewer pesticides, and fresh products.
4. Savings: Last week, I bought four red peppers for $1 at my farmer's market. At the store, they were $3.99 a pound. Enough said?
5. Ecology: Closer to home means fewer food miles and less burning of fossil fuels.
6. Social: Get reconnected with your food and your community.
7. Reclaim the past: Heirloom plants and animals are a rarity in supermarkets, but small farmers may raise several varieties each season.
8. Your health: Visiting a farmer's market weekly or joining a CSA means that your kitchen will always be filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, which makes it easy to get your daily intake.

Check out Local Harvest to find local sources for produce and livestock near you.

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Today's trip to the farmer's market was markedly different from last week's, a sure sign that fall is on it's way. Sweet corn had been replaced by squashes in every shape and color. The green beans I had been hoping to buy and freeze were gone, potatoes red, brown, and purple in their place. Only a few small bouquets of sunflowers stood for my daughter to linger over. Soon, pumpkins, mums, and apples will take over and fall will have officially arrived.

Even as we prepare to say goodbye to sweet watermelon and juicy honey rocks, we're looking forward to the harvest fall has to bring. WebMD has a list of fall foods to be thankful for, including apples, cider, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash among them. (They also have a few ideas for lightening up those delicious, but often heavy, cool weather meals.) What about you...what are your favorite fall foods?

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Are you looking for ways to get more fruit and vegetables in your diet? Take a minute to check out the CDC's Fruit and Vegetable of the Month. Each month one new fruit and one new vegetable is featured and included nutritional information as well as helpful recipes. For August, the CDC recommended celery, fennel, and cactus, and in September they'll celebrate chili peppers and figs.

Though the CDC appears to have paid some attention to seasonal harvests -- green onions in March and root vegetables in December, for instance -- not much priority seems to have been placed fresh, local fare. If you decide to use CDC as your guide, feel free to substitute with fresh goodies from your local farm market.

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People often complain that it's expensive to eat right, but in August that's not necessarily true. Plentiful harvests are showing up at farmer's markets everywhere, and fresh fruits and vegetables are for sale often for much less than you'll find at your local grocer. Marisa over at Slashfood recently asked her readers to tell her what they can buy for $20 at their local market and shared her own haul that includes no less than 19 pieces of produce!

The next time I visit my market, I'm going to take a $20 and try this challenge myself, and I'm guessing I can squeeze enough produce out of that twenty to get our family of four through several meals this week. What about you? What will $20 buy you at your local farmer's market?

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First there was the whole foods diet. Then there was the low-carb craze. Then eating organic was all the rage. And I'm sure you've heard of cage-free, free range and grass fed. Now there's eating locally. Well, eating locally isn't exactly a new concept--after all, farmer's markets have existed probably as long as farms, but it finally seems to be catching on as a dieting trend.

So what exactly does it mean to eat locally, and what are the benefits? I mean, we've all seen farmer's markets, perused their offerings and even occasionally indulged in some of their maple syrup candy and apple cider but what does eating locally really translate to?

"Local" is defined as anything within a hundred miles. That makes for a lot of possibilities in terms of food options, depending on where you live.

To me, farmer's markets were always the opportunity to get a little something different than what you'd find at a local supermarket. I know the one in Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn used to house a woman we referred to as the Cheese Lady who always had THE BEST cheeses anywhere. She had this one spicy white cheddar with horseradish in it that was TO DIE FOR. Sadly, at some point she took her wares elsewhere.

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Are you interested in eating more locally grown, sustainably-produced foods? Diet -blog has compiled an excellent list of resources to help you get started. The links on that list will help you find local farm markets, local food co-ops, grass-fed meat and dairy products, and will also help you source locally grown foods.

Why eat locally? Here's a list from the Eat Local Challenge that outlines 10 good reasons to eat locally. Protecting the environment, eating fresher foods in season, and supporting local farmers are just a few of the reasons. Sustainably-grown foods not only support the local economy, they're also grown in a way that supports conservation and protects the Earth so that it can continue to support agriculture.

Springtime is a great time to make eating locally a habit. Farm markets and roadside stands will soon start cropping up all across the nation, the perfect opportunity to pull over and pick out some freshly picked veggies for dinner (and support a local farmer while you're at it.) Who knows, you may become hooked and never eat an imported vegetable again!

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