During my month-long challenge to eat local foods, I definitely learned a lot.

1. The food tastes better – nothing truly compares to eating foods fresh from the garden/orchard.

2. I needed to really think ahead so that I wasn’t running all over tarnation. (read my post at Simple Homemade for some tips on buying local without driving all over)

3. It’s about a million times harder to meal plan – not knowing exactly what I was going to be able to find at the farmers markets was tough. I had to start thinking as I shopped, sometimes walking through the rows and then sitting with my pen and paper before I made my purchases.

4. I really had to keep my budget in mind – it was so easy to begin buying specialty items at the farmers market and then I’d find out I should have bought more produce instead.

5. Eating seasonally just feels….right. Even over the course of just 30 days, the produce that shows up at the market (and in my garden) has changed. Because of this, the nutrients we’re consuming are changing as well. Giving us what our body needs at this specific time.

I spent the month of August going to farmers markets for produce and meat, calling local farmers so that I could buy meat from them, and trying to find sources for pantry staples.

The really hard part was the pantry staples, so I mostly decided to buy as little as possible and only from family run/locally run small stores.

Late last week I finally stepped foot into a local supermarket as well as Costco. And can I admit something?

It is soooo much easier! I didn’t have to think about the many places I needed to go and I could get everything on my list in one fell swoop.

But I also realized that there was less there that I wanted to buy. I picked up the lettuce, grabbed some fruit, and pull chips off the shelves, and all I could think was “I could find better stuff (and pay less) at the farmers market”. I did end up buying a few things (because our farmers stands now don’t have near as much produce at them), and it’s hard not to notice the lack of flavor.

I’m really glad I took this challenge for our family – how did you do?

For us, moving forward, we still plan on buying as much local food as possible, especially dairy, meat, and produce (for as long as we can buy fresh produce here in MI).

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Links in the post above may be affiliate or referral links - meaning that through a sale I may be given monetary benefit. I blog with integrity and only endorse companies and products I love.

I am not a doctor and don\'t pretend to be one. Use everything you read only to inspire you to do your own research and be an advocate for your own health. Please read my disclaimer in full.

As I’m now on day 20 of my Eat Local Challenge (I’ll update my success and failures soon), I thought we could talk about where to find all of this local food. I’d also love it if you chimed in with your tips as well.

from my own garden just this morning – can’t get more local than that!

1. farmers markets

If you’re new to your town/city or just don’t quite know where to look, check out Local Harvest.org to search for markets in your area. I’ve noticed in the past that not all of them are listed for my surrounding area, but it does cover most everyone.

Farmers markets are a great way to pick up local produce and talk with the people that grow the food. Just be gentle when you ask them about their farming practices – I have found that farmers don’t really like to hear that what they do (and how hard they work) just isn’t good enough. Simply asking how the crops are doping this year is always a good “in”.

These markets are also great because you’ll be able to find a large variety of locally grown foods, most of which have been picked within a day of sale.

One thing to watch out for those are the farmers that bring in crops that they buy from other farmers, some from out of state. Yes – you heard that right. Some farmers will buy bulk produce from out of state (especially when their own crops have been ruined due to weather/bugs/etc) and they will sell it at their table without letting you know it’s from someone else. (last week I noticed one in our market selling grapes from Oregon – I’m in Michigan) So if your market doesn’t have any rules against this – just ask.

2. farmers stands

One of the benefits of living out in farm country, is that in the summer time many small farmers put out produce on roadside stands. I have a few of them within about 4 miles of my house, so running out to grab local produce doesn’t take much time or gas. If you live on the outskirts of town, try asking around to see if you have family or friends that have seen local roadside stands. Or take a Sunday drive and check out the area yourself.

3. health food stores

Most of my local health food stores carry locally grown produce along with some locally raised meats, eggs, and dairy. In fact, I was actually able to find some Michigan made yogurt last week on my weekly grocery run. They can also be able to tell you exactly which farm your products came from as they have a more intimate relationship with the farmers versus a large scale store.

4. supermarkets

The local food movement has made great strides over the last few years and supermarkets are starting to get the hint. We have a couple of grocery stores in my area that buy produce locally and mark it as local food. While I would rather buy directly from the farmer (so that they receive more funds than if they have to sell it to a larger store where it’s marked up for sale), this can be a good option for those who are unable to track down local options themselves.It’s also a great way to “vote with your money”.

And if your store don’t sell local foods – ask them to! If enough people ask for local options they may start to consider it.

5. butcher shops

Many cities have locally run butcher shops and these can be a great place to purchase locally raised meat. Some buy from larger distributors and resell, so you will have to ask where the meat is coming from, but many are starting to buy from local farmers. the one nearest my house has also begun selling both grass-fed and organic options. (though the organic is not grass-fed…..so we go for the grass-fed but not organic option. I find that the texture of the meat and fat is better with grass-fed than organic, but kept in a barn meat)

They may also sell local (or at least semi-local) cheeses and eggs as well.

6. go to/begin with google

If you’re coming up empty-handed trying to find local foods, or if you’re just starting to do the searching, beginning with a web search can offer lots of information in a short amount of time.

Local Harvest – find farmers’ markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area, where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies.

Eat Wild – Producers listed on Eatwild certify that they meet our exacting criteria, assuring that their animals and the land are well-treated, that their products are exceptionally high in nutrition and free of antibiotics and added hormones. Products include: Beef, Pork, Lamb, Veal, Goat, Elk, Venison, Yak, Chickens, Ducks, Rabbits, Turkeys, Eggs, Milk, Cheeses, Produce, Nuts, Berries, Wild-Caught Salmon and more!

Weston A Price Foundation – find a local chapter of this foundation and you may also find a wealth of resources, especially if you live in an area where the “real food” is also an underground movement.

Meetup – this site is not exclusively for food, but many of the meetups that you find locally could be of interest. The WAPF groups, primal/paleo groups, vegetarian groups, etc, etc, are listed within this site. So search through them for your area if all else fails, and get together with a group of real food enthusiasts.

Real Milk - This site is specifically for finding fresh, unprocessed milk through many of the farms may also sell other products or be able to point you to farms that sell what you need.

Do you have any other tips (or online resources) for finding local food?

All images and content are protected under US copyright laws, please do not copy and paste.

Links in the post above may be affiliate or referral links - meaning that through a sale I may be given monetary benefit. I blog with integrity and only endorse companies and products I love.

I am not a doctor and don\'t pretend to be one. Use everything you read only to inspire you to do your own research and be an advocate for your own health. Please read my disclaimer in full.