It's National Eat Your Veggies Day!!

Vegetables at a local farmers' market

Anyone with a mother probably grew up hearing "eat your vegetables."

Well, today is the day to actually listen to mom. It's National Eat Your Vegetables Day."

According to the National Day Calendar website, June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, so National Eat Your Vegetables Day is one more opportunity to remind everyone about this important part of a healthy diet.

"As part of a main meal or as a snack, vegetables can be enjoyed in a variety of ways. Each vegetable has it's own nutritional content through generally they contain little protein or fat and varying proportions of vitamins like A, K, B6, provitamins, dietary minerals and carbohydrates. They also contain phytochemicals and some vegetables also contain fiber, which is important for gastrointestinal function."

"It is recommend by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to consume 3 to 5 servings of vegetables a day. For most vegetables, one serving equals about 1/2 to 1 cup eaten either raw or cooked."

There are a lot of wonderful vegetables grown fresh right here in New York state. Many are in farmstands, farmers' markets and grocery stores now and others will begin showing up as the growing season progresses. 

So get out there and  buy some local vegetables. You can't get fresher than that!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. 

And please, as you count your blessings, be sure to thank the farmers who toil every day for every morsel of food you enjoyed today.

Check Out the Winter Farmers' Markets

From the governor's office:

Even though it's winter, you still can go to a farmers' market.

The locations of 116 winter farmers' markets --an all-time high number in New York state -- can now be found on the state's open data website at Open.ny.gov .

This comprehensive data website will help provide New Yorkers with a user-friendly way to search for farmers' markets near their homes this winter.

The number of winter farmers' markets in the sate has grown 190 percent since 2007. 

2007-08 -- 40 winter markets
2008-09 -- 60
2009-10 -- 87 
2010-11 -- 87
2011-12 -- 94
2012-13 -- 110 
2013-14 -- 116

While consumers will have more selection at farmers' markets during the spring, summer and fall growing season, winter markets offer a variety of choices, such as potatoes, onions, cabbage, winter greens such as kale and chard, wreaths and Christmas trees. 

The Winter Farmers' Market Dataset includes information detailing the hours of operation and location of community markets as well as the name and phone number of the manager. 

Winter Farmers’ Markets List: https://data.ny.gov/d/3tmh-kuni
Winter Farmers’ Markets Map: https://data.ny.gov/d/88k7-ujm4

To confirm the hours and location before traveling, contact the local market.

Holy Squashed Squash!

From the Associated Press:

New York State police say eastbound traffic was slowed on the Thruway Tuesday a.m. after a tractor-trailer hauling squash crashed off the highway.

Troopers say the truck crashed through guide rail around 7 a.m. Tuesday on Interstate 90's eastbound side between exits 33 and 32 in the Oneida County town of Verona, 30 miles east of Syracuse.

Police say truck is off the highway but pieces of the guide rail and other debris from the crash has blocked the right lane. Traffic is moving in the left lane but troopers say it also could be closed while crews clean up the crash scene.

Police say the driver wasn't injured.