Farmer's Market Food Challenge

What:

• Eat locally grown and produced food purchased directly from local growers at my local farmer's market (Alachua County Farmer's Market)
• Eat seasonally
• Eat healthily and increase the nutritional value of the food I am eating and serving my family
• Rise to the creative challenge of feeding my family delicious and healthy food from the farmer's market
• Reduce the amount of money we spend on food
• Reduce my carbon foot print
• Support local farmers and producers

How:

• Get to know the growers and their products and discover what my family enjoys eating and how they like it prepared
• Adapt, modify and create recipes using items from the Farmer's Market
• Try to get to the market early enough every Saturday so as not to miss key items that are offered like eggs, milk and strawberries, but also place orders with farmers for items that are critical to my food supply for the week
• Only buy enough food for one week unless there are items that are seasonal that will freeze well.  

2 Month Check-In:

• We have discovered that we like some carrots better than others.  We even know how to pick out turnips now.  Who knew?
• We have our staple items that we use every week
• We are creating new recipes almost every week 
• We are becoming more confident in spending all of our food budget at the Farmer's Market.  We spent less than $10 at Publix this week.
• We are practicing a no trash policy.  We bring our own bags and so far the only things we have had to buy in their containers are yogurt, milk and ranch dressing.  We will find ways to reuse those containers.  Other containers we return to the farmer the next week.
• We have eliminated the need for canned foods and artificial seasonings or ingredients.  I now know how to cook with all fresh ingredients and seasonings and create flavor full meals.