We visited our local community Gardens today.
The Ark Community Gardens in Newcastle co Down is a lovely wee haven just outside the town on a relatively small piece of land. But they sure do pack a lot in! They have a couple of poly tunnels with veg and herbs, a spacious chicken run, a small cabin gift shop, and a large selection of outdoor plants. The Ark also has other hut’s and tunnels for community groups to come together and make use of. A simple yet wonderful asset to the local area.
Our main reason for our trip was to purchase some locally grown organic veg. Which we did. 2 large leeks (the height of my 4 year old!) 3 Bunch’s of scallions, a couple large onions and a bag of peas in their pod (is there anything more satisfying than cracking open a pod?)
Going to a place like this and buying veg was good for the soul indeed! Not to mention reducing our carbon footprint by buying local produce.
So here are my 5 top tips for an eco friendly food shop..
- As talked about here, buy local as much as possible. That doesn’t mean pop round to the nearest Spar in your slippers! Instead, find a farm shop or gardens near you that sells home grown veg (if organic then even better!), The produce tends to be a lot cheaper and fresher too. The same applies to meat, buy from a butcher who sources meat locally. (Or go veggie/vegan for the win! – which I will be talking about in another post soon).
- Bring your own bags. This is an obvious one but I find it so ridiculous that people are still buying those 5p bags. I like to keep a selection of bags in a bag in the car, an easy habit to get into.
- Reuse fruit bags or sandwich bags for fruit and veg. These come in handy when going to the farm shops or gardens and again I’ll have a few in my bag bag in the car.
- Bring your own lunch box/containers to get filled at the deli counter instead of buying prepacked goods. For example I get coleslaw and salad type things put into my own tub. Most places are very obliging, I haven’t been refused yet.
- Go for glass or cardboard before plastic. Where possible choose products that are in jars, boxes or paper bags in favour of plastic tubs and contsiners.
There you have it, 5 simple yet effective little tips. If we all implemented these things just think of the difference we would make!
Happy shopping folks
Jen 💚🌱
