Organic Living: Farmers' Market Tips

If you're new to shopping at Farmers' Markets, your first visit or two might feel a little overwhelming. How do you know what items are the best buys? How do you decide to try a new fruit or vegetable? What items should you bring with you? Check out this article by Molly Watson of About.com for some great tips: 


1. Know Your Seasons

If you know a bit of what to expect when you get to the farmers market, making decisions at each stall is much easier. Learn what grows in your area when and talk to the growers about what will be coming to market in upcoming weeks. **Note: this doesn't apply as much to those of us shopping in Hawaii, but it's still good to know the seasons's of the produce you're buying out in town and on the mainland.**

2. Go Early or Go Late

For the best selection, go to the farmers' market early. The best goods go first. Popular-but-limited items may even sell out before the day is done. It’s as simple as that.

For the best deals, go to the farmers' market late. Farmers and other vendors usually prefer to discount products instead of loading them back up and schlepping them home. 

3. Bring Big Bags & Small Change

Some farmers' market vendors offer bags, but they tend to be thin and flimsy plastic ones that groan under the pressure of any substantial produce purchase. Make sure everything gets home from the farmers market without crashing onto the sidewalk or spilling onto the floor of your car by bringing your own sturdy canvas or nylon bags. A backpack can make the hauling easier, especially for weighty or bulky items.

Although vendors will make change, purchases will go easier and faster if you have exact (or close to exact) change. At some farmers' markets "small change" means dimes and nickels. In larger urban areas many products at farmers' markets are sold in dollar or fifty-cent increments.

5. Plan For Spontaneity

Yes, you’ll fair better if you plan your trip to the farmers market. However, you need to leave a bit of wiggle room for those strawberries you didn't know would be at market so early, or the zucchini blossoms you've never tried before. Trying new things is part of the fun of going to farmers markets.

6. Work In Volume

The best deals at the farmers market are had when you buy in bulk. You'll enjoy the best flavors and the best prices when you buy lots of whatever is at its harvest peak. How to use it all up? Try new recipes with favorite vegetables or learn the lost art of preserving food. Freezing, canning, and drying are just some of the ways you can save seasonal tastes you find at the farmers market for later in the year.

7. Think "Whole Foods"

No, not that “Whole Foods” – think in terms of how food grows and comes to the farmers market without being processed first. Carrots come whole and unpeeled. Beets still have greens (and dirt) attached. Learning to handle just-harvested produce can take some getting used to

8. Get Advice

If you find a vegetable that’s new to you at the farmers market and want to give it a try, ask the farmer how to prepare it. For the best tips specifically ask how they like to eat it. 

Family Matters: Starting Healthy Habits at Home

This isn't a new topic, but it bears repeating: don't feed your family junk. Seems like a simple thing, right? However, I constantly run into mom's that are eating a salad but feeding their children chicken nuggets and french fries. This makes zero sense to me. While happy that you're taking care of yourself, I'm appalled that you let your children consume such horrible food. Children start out in the world with perfect, untainted bodies. It's us adults that junk up their systems! Healthy habits are learned, and it starts at home. According to First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move Campaign, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese. Don't let your kids fall into the same trap!

Pleasing children's palates can definitely be challenging, and you may be faced with a four-year-old that refuses to eat anything but chicken nuggets or macaroni and cheese. The good news is that these foods are so easy to make in a healthy way! Consider making homemade chicken nuggets with chicken breast (preferably organic) coated with bread crumbs and baked in the oven. Macaroni and cheese can be made-over with reduced-fat cheese, whole grain pasta, and veggies. Try nutritious no-bake cookies for a sweet snack on the run. You might need to get a little creative and be patient as your introduce new and wholesome foods, but in the long run, it will pay off when you've created lasting, healthy habits in your children. 

Stay tuned for next week's post on introducing exercise to your kiddos!

Organic Living: Hawaii Farmers' Markets

Living in Hawaii, we're lucky enough to have year-round access to a plethora of excellent Farmers' Markets. These markets provide quality, delicious produce, meats, eggs, cheeses, and a variety of other artisan products. Getting your food directly from the source means you can buy with confidence knowing that the product is minimally processed and handled, and doesn't have many of the harmful pesticides that big factory farms use.


Some more great reasons to shop locally: 


1. You'll save money! By buying directly from the farmer, you're eliminating the need for shipping and processing. This will save you money, and to boot, you're getting a better, fresher product. This particularly holds true for organic items. 


2. You'll reduce your carbon footprint. It's estimated that food travels nearly 1500 miles before it gets to your plate. Not only does this contribute to global warming, but it also means that food is stored for long periods of time, draining its freshness and reducing its quality. 


3. Fresher food! Most produce is picked immediately before it's arrival at the farm stand. The food is normally not refrigerated or frozen prior to delivery. As a bonus, most markets also offer fresh meat, eggs, and even homemade cheeses. The quality is undoubtedly superior to what you'll find in a large supermarket.


4. You're supporting local businesses. Small farms are a dying breed. The larger factory farms are focused more on quantity than quality, and the nutritional value of the food often suffers. By buying locally, you're supporting the efforts of hard-working farmers and supporting your area's economy. You're also able to ask the farmer directly about their product, and often times you can even visit their farm! 


Here are some of our favorite local markets:


Ala Moana
Saturdays, 8:00 am-12:00pm


Hale'iwa 
Sundays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm


Hawaii Kai 
Saturdays, 9:00 am-1:00 pm


Kailua 
Thursdays, 5:00 pm-7:30 pm


Kapiolani 
Saturdays, 7:30 am-11:00 am 


This is only a sampling of all the FM's on Oahu. More and more communities are adding their own markets, so be sure to check out your community Web site and also check out this list from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. The Hawaii Farm Bureau also regularly posts vendor directories and menus from local markets on their Twitter account, @hnlfarmers. 


Tomorrow we'll be posting some helpful tips for buying locally. Hope to see some of you at the markets!

DumBell Fitness Dominates Great Aloha Run!

The annual Great Aloha Run was held yesterday in Honolulu and DumBell Fitness represented in a big way! Over 100 Boot Campers were up bright and early to run just over 8 miles. Numerous members posted their personal best times this year. Congratulations to everyone that participated! 

DumBell Fitness: An Introduction

Welcome to the new DumBell Fitness blog! You've probably read by now that we're a Boot Camp program for military spouses. And, you may be asking yourself, "Wait a second, spouses go to Boot Camp, too?" Our answer is, "YES!" 

Our program started in June 2009 as a way to give military spouses in Hawaii access to top-rate physical training in a supportive and convenient environment. On-site childcare is included, FREE of charge, for all morning Boot Camp classes. Each session lasts four weeks, with the intensity and repetitions progressing each week. All levels of fitness are welcome. Make sure to pop over to our Web site and read our client testimonials. The transformations are amazing! 

In this blog we plan to focus on more than just fitness. We'll be regularly featuring pieces on healthy eating, exercise tips, organic/natural foods, and community support. 

DumBell Fitness is growing fast, and we're looking forward to new programs and Boot Camp locations in 2012. We'll be announcing those additions here soon. 

Learn more about DumBell Fitness by visiting us at www.dumbell-fit.com. You'll also find us on Facebook and Twitter.