Be Green, Save Some Green, Buy Local

One of the most exciting things about my move to Arizona has been the shopping selections! There are so many stores here and so many great deals! I guess I was just missing out, living in little ol' Kansas City.

As my husband and I get older we are more and more health conscious. We try really hard to avoid processed foods (we're not perfect though!), refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, saturated fats...my son's gluten free diet actually helps us in this endeavor since most of the foods he cannot eat contain at least one of the aforementioned!

The other thing we are trying to do is be more environmentally conscious.

Buying locally farmed produce, meats and dairy is a big way to achieve both of our goals!

Here are some tips

:: Find your smaller, local grocer and check out their produce selection, it's more likely to be locally grown.

:: Stop at those vegetable stands you pass on your drive around town. Ask them if they grew the produce and what their farming methods are (if you interested in organic methods).

:: Pack up the family and go to farmer's markets on Sat morning! My son LOVES doing this, they always give samples of produce and we get to talk with the farmers directly.

:: Find a local farm to visit and buy from. Check out http://www.localharvest.org/ for a database of participating farms (there are literally thousands, in each state). There are also local organizations offering databases of your local farms. Just search for "Community Supported Agriculture" or "Organic Farming" in your area.

:: Join a CSA. If you are up for trying new foods and are willing to let go of control of $20-30 of your grocery budget each week this is a great way to buy organic and support your local farming community. The farmers have less waste and you get to try new foods you might not buy at the store. Some of those small local grocers offer CSA memberships that deliver to the store so you can pick up on your regular weekly shopping day!

:: If you are really in for the long haul, sign up to participate in a community or cooperative farm. You typically spend 1-2 hours a month doing actual physical work at the farm and in return you get to enjoy the real "fruits of your labor".

What do you do to be environmentally conscious? Do you do any of the things mentioned here? Tell us your story so we can share it with everyone else.