5 tips for eating local in Houston

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Visit your local farmer’s market. Lots of our produce items travel from other states and from countries such as Mexico and Guatemala, but we have local options are available here in the city and surrounding areas. Greater Houston is fortunate to feature several urban farmers markets, which offer a wide variety of goods produced close to home. Consider these options:

If you’re buying store produce or packaged goods, check if items are sourced locally. Produce simply tastes better when fresh, and local products are typically picked, marketed and sold at their ripest. When shopping, look at the sticker (or a nearby placard) on your item to learn its origin. Try to choose items grown locally whenever possible.

Support businesses featuring local food. Engage with staff in your community restaurants and cafés and ask if anything is cooked with locally-grown food. If not, they might pursue these options if they’re important to their customer base. 

Learn to garden. Growing your own food is the freshest and most affordable way to eat. Urban gardens can be as small as a balcony herb garden or can fill up your backyard. If you’re interested in learning how to garden, many local spots like Urban Harvest offer affordable classes and resources.

Join a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Committing to a CSA membership supports local farms, and it’s typically more affordable than shopping for groceries. For most CSAs, you pay upfront for weekly farm shares and pick up your items at either the farm or a designated drop spot. Texas grows many crops year-round, so get to know the programs close to you. If you live further out, some will deliver to your home.