Life without a car really limits your options for grocery shopping, especially in the winter.  The thing that I love about being in Boston in the spring and summer are all the farmers markets that suddenly pop up throughout the city.  During the winter my grocery expeditions are limited to stores that are located close to home, or near a subway stop.  During the summers here, as I’m sure it is elsewhere in the country, getting fresh food is a whole other story.

Thanks to the warm weather that spring has brought, and my new bike, I am back to exploring farmers markets, mom and pop stores, and random fruit stands throughout the city.  What I like about buying produce from places other than chain grocery stores is that the entire experience is different.

On a recent trip to one of my favorite local produce places, I came home with fresh strawberries that I hand-picked out.  Many of them still had their long stems, which reminds me about how they grew.  When I buy packaged fruit at the grocery store I rarely think twice about where it came from.  When you see some part of the growing process you become conscious of how that item got into your kitchen.

It is easy for us to forget that fruits and vegetables come from trees and bushes, or grow in the ground, when we buy them either pre-packaged or frozen.  However, I think that food becomes even more appealing when we stop to think about the growing process.

I recently heard about   " The Edible Schoolyard , which is a non-profit program in Berkeley, California that teaches kids about the origins of food and respect for all living systems.  At this one-acre organic garden and kitchen, students learn how to grow, harvest, and prepare healthy seasonal produce.

I was lucky enough to grow up with a garden where I was partly responsible for picking the ripe fruits and vegetables.  Being exposed to that may have shaped my view and love of healthy foods.

If the only place you have ever gone for fruits and vegetables is the grocery store, I would encourage you to seek out farmers markets in your area, or join a co-op where a local farm delivers fresh produce directly to your door.

The   /" Local Harvest website will help you find farmers markets in your area just by typing in your zip code.  There are so many options out there to explore foods you may not have been exposed to before.  Do not limit yourself to thinking that the only place you can shop for these items are at your local chain grocery store.