Hello Gaston and Happy June! The summer produce season is upon us, and I just love eating so much more in the summer, don’t you? Eating locally is important for so many reasons, but in case you have forgotten the benefits – let me remind you in this handy-dandy list format.

1. Local foods have far less to travel than imports from across the country or globe, so your carbon footprint is less. (That means less fuel used, less emissions emitted, less energy spent on keeping foods cold, and less packaging.)

2. Local foods support local farmers, keeping them in business and keeping our land productive. Farms are not only functional, but so beautiful for our landscape here in Gaston County.

3. Eating locally, especially local honey, can help if you have seasonal allergies. The pollens collected by the bees are basically micro dosed into your honey and can help you build up a better immune response.

4. Eating seasonally is similar to buying locally, because seasonal produce is often local. Getting all those strawberries now from the local farms is much better environmentally than buying berries from California that you can now get year-round. It’s better to eat in season, for what is available to you locally.

5. Nutritional bang for your buck! Your local bioregion (the place that you live defined by watershed, climate patterns, soil types etc.) has a unique profile that creates flavors, textures and other special aspects of food.  Tomatoes, potatoes, greens, squash, melons grown here are special for being grown in this region, in this soil, under these beautiful skies. Don’t you want a taste of home?

6. It’s not just fruits and veggies. If you are omnivorous, consider buying your meats locally, or getting your eggs from a local vendor. The same benefits apply as above – you can know the source, ask questions of various medicines provided to the animals if you are interested, and know that it did not sit in a back freezer for months or years before it got to you.

7. What about fish? Sure! There are plenty of places to fish locally, from South Fork to Lake Wylie, along with local catfish ponds. Brim, crappie, carp, bluegill, white perch and channel catfish can be found at a local park like George Poston Park, Dallas Park and Rankin Lake. There is a Tackle Loaner program at Rankin Lake if you do not own equipment.

All this is to say is that if you are aware of your surroundings, and know the specialness of where you live not only can you take advantage of the wonders of a NC Southern summer spread, but hopefully you will be interested and take special care to keep our soil, water and air clean so that what happens outside, and to the food grown here, is good for you to consume. You are what you eat! If you can’t plant at home, you can visit the Gastonia Farmers Market open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Belmont has a Thursday Market from 4 – 7 p.m. at Stowe Park, Mount Holly on Saturday mornings 8-noon on South Main Street, Bessemer City has a Sunday Market, 1-5 p.m. on first and third Sundays in Centennial Park, and Cherryville on Tuesdays from 4 – 7p.m. at their Mini-Park. There are local farmstands as well throughout the county.

I am getting a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box this season from Lineberger Farm and just love it. Once a week I pick up a box filled with the best of the week’s produce from Lineberger’s and other partner farms that supply additional produce and meats. It’s a fun challenge to make recipes out of foods I typically wouldn’t choose (such as beets and turnips) and now we are extending our kids pallets too. (By the way, air fried turnips are a hit).

“Visit NC farms” is a great app that you can download so no matter where your journeys take you this summer in NC you can have access to the best the area has to offer. So bring your tote bags and baskets, buy some extra to freeze for the winter and you will have seasonal options year round. It’s good for you, and good for our planet. See you at the market.

Becca Hurd is Gaston County’s recycling coordinator.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: YOUR TURN: Perfect season to eat local