Eating local in the winter
is a snap with these tips!
By Colleen Ferguson
Photography by Adam Milliron | Styled by Mack enzie Hoops

Through innovative techniques, like year-round greenhouses and winter CSA programs , quality local food is popping up everywhere, from the grocery store down the street to a favorite family restaurant. So, thankfully, eating local during the winter doesn’t have to mean surviving solely on potatoes and holiday leftovers until March anymore. “Everyone is picking up on it,” Erin Hart from Farm to Table Pittsburgh says. “It’s not hard to eat local anymore, any time of year.” While in the past we may have struggled to mix up the flavors offered in our daily meals, local farms and quality food providers are taking notice of the locavore trend and the need for variety during the dreary winter months. With some helpful tips from farmers and foodies alike, eating local during the winter can be a breeze — and not a brisk, biting one.

The Heart of the Matter

Since our bodies use more calories to stay warm during the winter chill, Rob Baran, general manager and self-proclaimed local foods enthusiast from the East End Food Co-op, says that eating local can help keep your body healthy during the winter. “Eat more dairy,” he says. “Local cheeses, local eggs, butter, milks; our meat department has naturally pastured meats.” With cheeses from Minerva Dairy in Eastern Ohio, organically milled grains and granolas from Frankferd Farms in Saxonburg, and more, each of East End’s local products are marked throughout the store with a special label to make eating local even easier. East End Food Co-op, 7516 Meade St., East Liberty. 412.242.3598. www.eastendfood.coop

Square Roots

As winter winds make us catch our breath every time we walk out the door, it’s important to have a hearty meal in our stomachs to warm us from the inside out. Hilary Schramm, owner of Schramm Farms & Orchards, says that rustic roots and thick soups will help take the edge off. “Cabbage, root crops, beets — anything to make a soup,” Shramm says. Hearty roots and ingredients for stews will keep longer in the winter, so buy in bulk! “The root crops store best, because they maintain their nutritional value over time,” he says. Schramm Farms & Orchards, 1002 Blank Road, Jeannette. 724.744.7320. www.schrammfarms.com

Oh Say, Can You CSA?

Growing up next to a farm for most of my life, I always enjoyed knowing elements of my meal came from just down the street. Even if the nearest farm is several miles away, Hart says that getting to know the people behind the produce is the key to a locavore lifestyle. “A good way is to go to the farmers’ markets and talk to farmers, get on their email list, and find where they sell their product,” Hart says. “Get to know them, and you’ll always know where the produce is year round.” One of the best ways to do this is by signing up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, which brings the local produce to you. For the first time, Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance is offering a winter CSA program, with bundles featuring bread, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, flour, hydroponic lettuces, and other products. The bundles, comprised of specific amounts of all local foods, are delivered to pick up locations around the area, including Lawrenceville, Mt. Lebanon, and Squirrel Hill, every two weeks throughout the winter. Karlin Lamberto, CSA manager for Penn’s Corner, says the new winter CSA program can help add variety to those stuck in a winter flavor rut. “My husband just asked me, ‘What are we going to eat?’ You have to work harder to find it in the winter, but it’s there,” she says. “With all seasonal foods, you’ve had your fill by the end of the season. By the time we’re up to our ears in turnips, asparagus will be popping out of the ground.” Penn’s Corner Farm Alliance, 6587 Hamilton Ave., East Liberty. 412.586.7577. www.pennscorner.com

Do It Yourself

It’s no secret that eating local takes effort, especially during the winter months when produce variety and amounts are low. As the local selection starts to dwindle, Hart suggests a simple trick that will help keep our appetites local all year: canning and preserving. “In order to eat local, you have to do some preserving,” she says. “I collected some gallon bags of blueberries during the summer and froze them. Now, we’ll eat fresh local blueberries all winter.” Whether it’s fruit for jams or pies, or tomatoes for salsa or pasta, Meghan Tutolo, editor and writer in marketing for the George E. DeLallo Company, says canning and preserving items in preparation for the coming season will add variety and freshness to your winter selection. “The Italians do just the same — can up their lot of tomatoes to use for sauces all winter long,” she says. “Peppers can be pickled. Peaches, preserved.”