Treat Yourself and Your Family Well by Purchasing Organic Produce!

Buying locally grown organic produce is one of the best things you can do for your community, yourself and your family. The produce that the major retailers showcase and sell is based on looks instead of your local organic grocer's produce which is sold based on it being pesticide free and nutrient rich. Do you ever wonder why the major retailer's produce looks so good, but feels waxy and has a dull taste? What is in that waxy coating anyway? Sure, you can wash and wash the produce from the major retailer, but then you're still left with large showy produce without that fresh picked taste. The remainder of this article will suggest three organic grocers within the Rockingham County and Harrisonburg City that are sure to please your taste buds and your conscience.

The Harrisonburg Farmers Market is definitely a top pick for straight from the farm, fresh picked, organic produce and much more! The Harrisonburg Farmers Market opens at 7:00 a.m. on April 2, 2011. The regular Harrisonburg Farmers Market will be open Tuesdays and Saturdays from April 2 until Thanksgiving. In addition, they offer a holiday market on Saturdays in December excluding Christmas 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; a winter market on Saturdays January - March excluding New Years; a Thursday market on Thursdays June through September from 4:00 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Harrisonburg Farmer's Market offers fresh, healthy, locally produced foods and crafts of the highest quality as well. If you're in Harrisonburg City, make sure you stop by the Harrisonburg Farmer's Market located in the Turner Pavilion on Liberty Street in downtown Harrisonburg just before Court Square. You may contact the manager, Josie Showalter by phone 540-476-3377 or by e-mail hbfarmersmarket@gmail.com .

Another top pick for local organic produce in Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County is Radical Roots Farm which is a community supported agriculture farm. The way the farm works is that the owners of the farm, Lee and Dave O'Neil, have a farm on five acres in Keezletown where they grow the produce. The farm cooperative is made up of about thirty-five members who purchase shares for $475.00 at the beginning of the growing season. In return, the shareholders receive fresh produce every week from the first Tuesday in June through mid-October. When the half-bushel shares are ready, the shareholders pick them up at a location in Harrisonburg. Each half-bushel feeds two to three adults a week for about $24.00. Some of the vegetables offered include: spinach, rhubarb, radishes, lettuce, beets, squash, tomatoes, beans, onions and etc. If you are interested in fresh from the farm organic produce, then Radical Roots Farm is a great thing! Just go to the website, fill out the Community Supported Agriculture Form and mail it to: 3083 Flook Lane, Keezletown, VA 22832.

A third pick for organic produce in the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County area is Sue's Super Nutrition located at 3060 South Main Street, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sue's Super Nutrition offers organically grown local vegetables and organic meats from local farmers. In addition to their produce and meats they offer vitamins and herbs and are knowledgeable about the products that they sell. They also have a wonderful selection of teas. If you get a chance while you are in Harrisonburg, stop at Sue's Super Nutrition and see what you can find!

As you can see, there are a wide range of options in the Harrisonburg City and Rockingham County area to find fresh, nutritional and good tasting produce! The Harrisonburg Farmer's Market starts tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. I hope to see you there!