locally grown

Can the wildfire particles get into the soil and our food?

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Can the particles in the air currently from the Canadian wildfires get into the soil and then into our food being grown locally?

lettuce transplantsSmoke and ash from current Canadian wildfires have raised questions about the safety of produce growing on farms and gardens in Connecticut and beyond. While the number 1 concern from wildfire smoke is human health, chemicals found in the smoke don’t just stay in the air and can deposit onto plants and soils.

From a food safety perspective, there is generally low concern about the chemicals present on soils and produce. A study conducted in California examined 200 samples of greens (collard greens, lettuces, kale, and chard) that were exposed to wildfire smoke and ash. The study found no detectable levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, or chromium in any of the samples. However, it is still important to practice basic food safety measures, such as washing hands before handling produce and thoroughly washing produce before consumption.

When the smoke is light to moderate, it can actually enhance crop growth by diffusing light into the plant canopy. However, severe smoke that blocks sunlight can negatively impact photosynthesis and hinder plant growth and development.

Toxic gases present in smoke, such as nitrous oxide, sulfur dioxide, and ozone, can enter plants through their stomata and cause damage to plant tissues. Ozone, in particular, can burn or oxidize tissues in sensitive plants like cucumber, watermelons, beans, and potatoes. Exposure to wildfire smoke can affect the flavor of certain crops like wine grapes, giving them a smoky taste. The reduced photosynthesis and presence of toxic gases can increase plant stress and delay the physiological processes, resulting in delayed growth and harvest. Pollinator activity is also reduced due to smoke there by having a potential issue with crop pollination.

Smoke from wildfires can also have indirect effects on agriculture, creating a ripple effect throughout the farming process. The health concerns of farm workers due to the presence of smoke can hinder various farm activities, including crop scouting, fertilization, spraying, and other essential tasks. These disruptions have the potential to adversely impact crop production and overall agricultural output. Pollinator activity is also reduced due to smoke there by having a potential issue with crop pollination.

Answered by: Shuresh Ghimire, PhD, Vegetable Crops Assistant Extension Educator

Eat Local This Thanksgiving

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turkeyThanksgiving is right around the corner. Did you know that you can buy a Connecticut grown turkey? Check out the Buy CT Grown guide to Connecticut turkeys. Even if you don’t eat a Connecticut grown turkey, there are lots of great suggestions for how to add some local flavor to your holiday meal. Check out the recipes for sweet corn casserole and pumpkin muffins at the bottom of the page.

Eat locally grown, even in winter….

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By Diane Wright Hirsch, MPH, RD

UConn Extension Educator, Food Safety

Photo: Tomatoes at Bishop’s Orchards in Guilford. Credit: Jude Boucher, UConn Extension

tomatoes

After a food-filled holiday season (including, I must confess, raspberries, grown somewhere in South America, in a fruit salad…), it is time that many of us resolve to eat healthier and, perhaps, to attempt to eat more locally grown foods.  It sure can be difficult to live with THAT resolution during winter in Connecticut.

 

Eating seasonally can get a bit tedious over the long hard winter if your supply is limited by either amount or variety.  But, many farmers are now extending their growing seasons with greenhouses, high tunnels and other production methods.  You may find the fruits of their winter labor at a winter farmers’ market near you.  Actually, there are 10 of these markets in the state—one is likely not far from you.  Included are the Fairfield and New Canaan Farmers’ Markets in Fairfield County; the Hartford Market at Billings Forge in Hartford County; CitySeed’s indoor farmers’ market in New Haven, Madison farmer’s market and Guilford farmers’ markets in New Haven County; Stonington Winter Farmers’ Market in New London County; Coventry, Ellington, and Storrs Winter Farmers’ Markets in Tolland County; and Stonington farmers’ market in New London County. Check with the local market near you for hours, days and times.  Some meet only once or twice a month, others continue to be open weekly.

 

Keep in mind that shopping at the farmers’ market in the winter is different than in the summer—or than in a super market in the winter.  If it is an outdoor market, it WILL be cold—or there may be snow on the ground.  Indoors or out, the food choices will be different.  You might find beets, carrots, celeriac/celery root, Jerusalem artichokes, kohlrabi, parsnips, potatoes, radishes, rutabagas, salsify, sweet potatoes, turnips, and winter squash.  If you are not familiar with, let’s say, kohlrabi or rutabaga, type the name into your favorite search engine (or leaf through a good general cookbook) and you will be sure to find a tasty recipe or two.

 

You might also discover Belgian endive, broccoli, broccoli raab/rapini, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chicories, curly endive (frisée), escarole, kale, or radicchio.

 

Hearty leafies like escarole, chicories, endive and radicchio make a great base for a winter salad.  Because they have stronger flavors than the usual romaine or ice berg, they make a great base for other seasonal foods.   Try escarole or arugula with pears and walnuts.  Or try making a cole slaw with red cabbage and shredded kale—it is really delicious with dried cranberries or chunks of fresh apple added.

 

Flavor your winter veggies with leeks, onions and shallots. They can pretty much all be used interchangeably, but there are subtle flavor and pungency differences that may lead the eater to favor one over another. Try them raw, in salads; cooked, in just about any soup, stew, stir fry or casserole; or roasted, alone or mixed with other winter vegetables.

 

While you’re at it, this might be a good time to splurge a little and buy some locally produced meats, poultry or shellfish.  Locally produced animal protein foods may be a bit more expensive, but one taste and you will know that is was worth it.  Most farmers’ markets will have these products as well as local artisanal cheeses and other dairy products.  Give them a try and you will be hooked.

 

Finally, while not grown locally, citrus fruits are certainly a “seasonal” food.  It makes sense to add them to your grocery list at this time of year-even if you know they won’t be found at your local farmers’ market.  First of all they provide vitamin C and other nutrients that might be difficult to find in a limited seasonal diet.  Look for those grown in the US, including Texas, Florida, Arizona and California, if that will make you feel better (local can be defined as you see fit, here!).  Sliced oranges are great in winter salads made of a mixture of radicchio, escarole and endive.  The sweetness of the oranges offsets the bitterness of the greens.  Finish with some balsamic vinegar and a little olive oil.  You can also use dried cherries or cranberries in this salad along with some walnuts or pecans.

 

Sprinkle orange juice over cooked beets or carrots, or use the rind in cranberry bread.  Limes and their juice are often used in recipes that are Indian, Central American or Caribbean in origin.  A bit of lime juice along with a handful of cilantro will make a black bean soup even better.

 

For more information on eating locally and seasonally, contact the Home and Garden Education Center at ladybug@uconn.edu or 1-877-486-6271 for more information.