Ten Things You Might Not Know About the Local Food System
Last fall, we partnered with The Kennedy Center to put together the first-ever Harvest Day, an interactive and delicious journey through the local food system, at The REACH Plaza.
To excite folks, the Kennedy Center published a blog post about food production in the Mid-Atlantic region, which we are cross-publishing here. The FRESHFARM community is knowledgeable about local food and devoted to supporting a vibrant regional food system, but we hope you learn something new.
Do you have questions about the local food system or a fact you’d like to share? Let us know!
Originally Published October 17, 2024
And have you checked out the rest of the programming for this month’s Nourish—Nourishing Mind, Body, and Soul Through the Arts? We’ve got something for everyone—hope to see you there!
- Farmers markets aren’t just for summer! Many farmers markets in our region are open year-round, offering a range of locally grown produce, fresh eggs, meat, cheese, artisan baked goods, and more. Farmers in our region (DC, MD, VA, WV, and PA) can grow produce in soil year-round thanks to four-season farming techniques that include the use of greenhouses and high tunnels. That’s why you will find fresh kale and spinach at market in January or ripe tomatoes in May at Washington, DC area markets. Find a market near you and join our Winter Warrior program.
- Money spent on locally grown and made food keeps money circulating in the community, strengthens the local food economy, and creates a strong mid-Atlantic food system. This process, known as the multiplier effect, occurs when local food spending is reinvested in the community—such as on supplies, ingredients, or wages. Studies estimate that the multiplier effect for local food spending ranges from $1.32 to $1.90. This means that for every dollar spent on food grown and made in the Mid-Atlantic region, an additional $0.32 to $0.90 is generated in local economic activity!
Pawpaws, one of the few fruits native to North America, grow throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Pawpaws grow on small trees in forests across most of the eastern half of the United States, including in DC, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Pawpaws are a foraged food with a fleeting season—typically just a few weeks in September and October. Pawpaws boast a creamy texture and tropical flavor profile: think a mash-up of mango and banana with citrusy notes. Pawpaws don’t lend themselves to commercial production (they have a short shelf life and bruise easily), so you won’t find them at the grocery store! If you want to try pawpaws, next September you can forage for them yourself or look for them at farmers markets.- Speaking of foraged foods, ramps grow abundantly in the spring in the mid-Atlantic region. Ramps are a bulbous perennial allium, sometimes called wild garlic or leeks, with a unique, pungent flavor. Ramps grow wild in woods with rich soils and moist ground. Farmers bring them to market in spring, typically in April.
- The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States and is one of the most productive bodies of water in the world. The Chesapeake watershed spans 165,759 square kilometers, covering parts of six states—Delaware, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and DC. According to the National Ocean Service, more than 250 fish species use the Bay and tributaries for some portion of their life cycles, including American and hickory shad, river herring, striped bass, eel, weakfish, bluefish, flounder, oysters, and blue crabs.
Oyster shells can—and should—be recycled to rebuild the native oyster population and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Historically, Chesapeake oysters were the Bay’s most valuable fishery; today the oyster population is a fraction of what it once was. Oysters can play an important ecological role: they filter algae, sediment, and pollutants, and oyster reefs provide habitat for fish, crabs, and other sea creatures. Oyster shells are vital for oyster reproduction because they provide a surface for baby oysters to attach to and grow. The Oyster Recovery Partnership’s recycling program works with individuals and restaurants to collect oyster shells and get them back into the Bay to restore its reefs.- Pennsylvania is ranked fourth in apple growing in the United States, with over 21,000 acres of orchards producing 400 to 500 million pounds per year. There are thousands of apple varieties in the world, and about 100 of those are grown in Pennsylvania.
- The nutrition benefit SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, can be spent at farmers markets. In 2008, the FRESHFARM H Street NE Market became the first farmers market in DC to be approved by the USDA to accept SNAP/EBT. And in 2009, FRESHFARM became the first organization in DC, and among the first nationally, to offer a dollar-for-dollar incentive match to SNAP/EBT shoppers at one of its farmers markets. This program has evolved into FreshMatch.
- DC was home to America’s first-ever certified organic restaurant. In 1999 Restaurant Nora, owned by chef (and former FRESHFARM board member) Nora Poullion, became the first restaurant in the country to earn an organic certification, which meant that 95 percent of the food came from a USDA-certified organic source.
- Mid-Atlantic grown rice is a thing! Most rice consumed in our region is imported from Asia and South America using a cultivation method of flooded fields. Innovative farmers in our region are cultivating dry-land varieties that thrive without the need for constant water, contributing to the resurgence of rice farming in the area. Regional farmers grow heirloom varieties such as Cypress, Koshihikari, Carolina Gold, and Charleston Gold. Buying local rice offers numerous benefits that extend beyond just a delicious meal; locally grown rice has a smaller carbon footprint and helps conserve water resources, making it a more sustainable choice. Shop for local rice (and more) from the Mid-Atlantic Grain Stand.
