I have never met anyone who does not enjoy local foods. Now is the time of year when residents and visitors realize we are in the midst of our local food harvest season in Southwestern Ontario.
This means one thing for you and me – fresh fruits and vegetables! Everywhere you look, there are roadside stands, corner lots, and stores offering local food products.
There is another option to find local food products at places you may have never visited – The Buy Local! Buy Fresh! maps.
These maps list various food producers, what they have to offer, where they are located, when they are open, as well as contact information.

We continue to see growth in the production of local foods and, more importantly, increased demand from consumers for locally grown food products.

Buy Local Buy Fresh maps for Chatham-Kent and Essex County feature dozens of fruits and vegetables; many varieties of plants, flowers, and trees; all kinds of meat and fish; agri-tourism; eggs; maple syrup; honey; jams, jellies, sauces, wine, beer, and much more.
These maps are free, and you can pick one up at municipal service centers, local libraries, tourism outlets, local agricultural businesses, and at the vendor locations listed on the map, which also shows you the time of year fruits and vegetables are harvested.
You can download the map from this website: www.buylocalbuyfreshchathamkent.com. If you live in the Windsor-Essex region, you can download the map from this website: www.weheartlocal.ca

I would encourage you to check out these maps and be amazed at what our agriculture sector offers us here in Southwestern Ontario.
As well, there are always local food products on the market year-round, such as meat and fish, eggs, various fruits and vegetables, maple syrup, honey, home-baked goods, wine, beer, and so much more.
As consumers, we all need to be aware of where our food comes from. Providing safe and healthy food for yourself and your family is even more important these days. That is why you need to always read the food labels and know where all your food originates from.
What better way to support our local economy than by showing our support for our own producers and businesses all year round, wherever possible? After all, this is their livelihood.
When we buy local, we also support the workers and drivers who deliver the produce, the companies that supply these farmers with crop inputs, and we help preserve crop diversity and build our local economy.
Agriculture in Chatham-Kent is a $5 billion sector and our largest economic driver. In Windsor-Essex, the agriculture sector is over $3 billion. Let’s keep this growing. We can all be part of this, so let’s continue to show our support.
Just some food for thought.
Kim Cooper has been involved in the agribusiness sector for over 45 years. He can be reached at: kim.e.cooper@gmail.com