Everything is Fresher

When you shop at a local food market instead of a chain supermarket, the chances you will be buying fresher products is so much higher. Instead of coming from national distribution centers, everything you’ll find at a local market will have been picked or made nearby and recently.

Supporting Your Local Economy

Another great advantage to shopping in a food market is you will be directly supporting your local economy by buying products from your neighbors and fellow residents of your region. This helps the growth of your local micro-economy and contributes to your fellow citizens’ wallets.

Consume Local Products

In addition to helping your local economy, you will also be consuming more local products if you buy at a food market. It’s better and more environmentally-friendly to get a handful of tomatoes that have been grown 5 miles from your home than it is to get a handful of them from another country.

The post 3 Advantages to Shopping at Your Local Food Market appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Instead of using unnecessary resources like plasticware to store foods we have prepared and bought for our kitchens, the planet thanks us if we instead opt to reuse the containers that were used to package things we have consumed in the past. Here are some great ones you can try yourself.

Jelly Jars

Glass jars used as packaging for jellies and jams are a great reusable kitchen option. These medium-sized containers are perfect for storing homemade sauces, jellies, jams—and even dry goods like candy and popcorn.

Glass Bottles

Another piece of glassware you can reuse are glass bottles. These are commonly found as the containers for sparkling water, some sodas, and some alcoholic beverages. Use them as a receptacle for chilled water in your refrigerator or for homemade juices you want to store.

Plastic Tupperware

It’s become more and more common recently to find food products in the supermarket that are sold in plastic tupperware containers. While this isn’t the most eco-friendly packaging out there, you can at least reuse this tupperware to store leftovers and food you want to refrigerate instead of buying more of it.

The post Reuse These Containers for an Eco-Friendly Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fertilizer or nutrient-rich soil, from a hardware store or garden shop, often times is expensive and actually has fewer nutrients than natural compost provides. When eating produce and any food that spoils, we end up producing waste. The peelings from a carrot, the core of an apple, egg shells: these are all items that many put in the trash but are full of nutrients to create rich soil.

Composting is an easy way to impact the environment as an individual, by producing less waste. If you are not attracted to the idea of stirring or using your own compost there are plenty of no waste alternatives. Many towns have co-ops or community gardens that you can donate your food waste too. The co-op will use your compost and you still get to reduce the amount of trash that your household creates. Some larger cities are even beginning compost pick up services, similar to recycling and trash pick up, to make composting as convenient as possible for you!

The post The Benefits of Composting appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Everything is Fresher

When you shop at a local food market instead of a chain supermarket, the chances you will be buying fresher products is so much higher. Instead of coming from national distribution centers, everything you’ll find at a local market will have been picked or made nearby and recently.

Supporting Your Local Economy

Another great advantage to shopping in a food market is you will be directly supporting your local economy by buying products from your neighbors and fellow residents of your region. This helps the growth of your local micro-economy and contributes to your fellow citizens’ wallets.

Consume Local Products

In addition to helping your local economy, you will also be consuming more local products if you buy at a food market. It’s better and more environmentally-friendly to get a handful of tomatoes that have been grown 5 miles from your home than it is to get a handful of them from another country.

The post 3 Advantages to Shopping at Your Local Food Market appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Instead of using unnecessary resources like plasticware to store foods we have prepared and bought for our kitchens, the planet thanks us if we instead opt to reuse the containers that were used to package things we have consumed in the past. Here are some great ones you can try yourself.

Jelly Jars

Glass jars used as packaging for jellies and jams are a great reusable kitchen option. These medium-sized containers are perfect for storing homemade sauces, jellies, jams—and even dry goods like candy and popcorn.

Glass Bottles

Another piece of glassware you can reuse are glass bottles. These are commonly found as the containers for sparkling water, some sodas, and some alcoholic beverages. Use them as a receptacle for chilled water in your refrigerator or for homemade juices you want to store.

Plastic Tupperware

It’s become more and more common recently to find food products in the supermarket that are sold in plastic tupperware containers. While this isn’t the most eco-friendly packaging out there, you can at least reuse this tupperware to store leftovers and food you want to refrigerate instead of buying more of it.

The post Reuse These Containers for an Eco-Friendly Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Fertilizer or nutrient-rich soil, from a hardware store or garden shop, often times is expensive and actually has fewer nutrients than natural compost provides. When eating produce and any food that spoils, we end up producing waste. The peelings from a carrot, the core of an apple, egg shells: these are all items that many put in the trash but are full of nutrients to create rich soil.

Composting is an easy way to impact the environment as an individual, by producing less waste. If you are not attracted to the idea of stirring or using your own compost there are plenty of no waste alternatives. Many towns have co-ops or community gardens that you can donate your food waste too. The co-op will use your compost and you still get to reduce the amount of trash that your household creates. Some larger cities are even beginning compost pick up services, similar to recycling and trash pick up, to make composting as convenient as possible for you!

The post The Benefits of Composting appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.