Radish Green Pesto & Farmers Market Season

I thought I was doing a pretty good job of cutting down on food waste in my household, especially given that we are now empty-nesters and I tend to make short shopping trips to the grocery store or farmer’s market to get just what I need for a couple days' meals.

But then my local health department put on Wasted Food Starts With Us Week and I saw their food waste guru on the local TV morning show making pesto using radish greens. Not something I’d thought of doing for sure!

With farmer’s market season in full swing, inspire your clients or employees to make the most of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season and locally grown. Here are some ways to get the conversation started:

Display this fun Enjoy Your Farmers Market poster along with a list of farmer’s markets that are in your area.
Ask people to share their favorite farm stand or market. If they don’t have a favorite, is there one near their home or workplace? When could they stop by to check it out (on the way home from work?)?
Post this beautiful Farm to Table poster and see who can name all the vegetables pictured. Provide recipes and let others share how they prepare these items.
Offer a webinar or lunch-and-learn based on the Plants: Many Beneficial Parts poster to show people how to get the most out of all parts of the produce they buy at the farmer’s market.
Give a quick tutorial on how to prepare fruits and vegetables using the Slicing, Chopping, and Cooking guide poster.
Find out if farmer’s markets in your area accept SNAP payment or participate in the WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program and the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.