Local Foods Guide 2022-2024
Our Local Foods Guide is a FREE resource that gives you the inside scoop on our LV farms, markets, restaurants, events, farm stores, farm shares, and so much more! We print and publish a new copy every two years, so be sure to grab yours at our partner locations or download it here.
Assessment Report: Lehigh Valley Local Food Economy, 2013
*BFBL-GLV and the Nurture Nature Center are currently working on updating this report to better reflect current trends and expand on the importance of food and environmental justice in our food system.
- Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council (LVFPC) – is a council made up of community stakeholders who unite to influence the landscape of regional food access, policy, and collaboration. The LVFPC was established as a result of the 2013 Assessment Report and over the years has undergone a series of changes to its structure and impact. Recently, the state-wide, PA Food Policy Council was established.
Harvest Calendar
With the help of Lehigh Valley farmers, Buy Fresh Buy Local developed this Harvest Calendar to provide guidance for buying produce when it’s in season. This calendar update and reprint was funded with support from the grant mentioned below. To learn more about some key PA produce options, see the “Fresh Right Now” flyers below. Hard copies will be available at some partner locations.
Fresh Right Now Flyers
Below are eight different flyers (in both Spanish and English versions) each featuring a key type of PA produce. These flyers were developed as part of the Nurture Nature Center’s “Fresh Right Now: Advancing Agritourism in the Lehigh Valley through Seasonal Food Education” project, supported by funding from the 2022-2023 Pennsylvania Agriculture Product Promotion, Education and Export Promotion Matching Grant. The goal of these flyers is to highlight the many different benefits of consuming fresh and local produce including seasonality (when it’s freshest), health benefits, growing information, variety listings, fun facts, and a simple recipe highlighting the featured food. The featured farms are just a few sourcing options, but our Find Local Food page lists many more options. Please download, share, and enjoy these resources! See below for two examples and download all eight flyers in the table that follows. Hard copies will be available at some partner locations.
| When Freshest | Download Flyers (English) | Download Flyers (Spanish) |
| Spring/Fall | Greens FRN Flyer | Las verduras FRN |
| Spring/Fall | Root Veggies FRN Flyer | Vegetales de Raiz FRN |
| All Year | Mushroom FRN Flyer | El hongo FRN |
| Summer | Tomato FRN Flyer | El tomato FRN |
| Summer | Peppers FRN Flyer | La pimienta FRN |
| Summer | Summer Squash FRN Flyer | La calabaza de verano FRN |
| Fall | Apple FRN Flyer | La manzana FRN |
| Fall | Winter Squash FRN Flyer | La calabaza de invierno FRN |
*What about winter? Some crops grow during the colder months indoors and in greenhouses. There are also hardier crops like root vegetables which like colder temperatures. They make great “storage crops” meaning they can be stored in cellars over the winter time and sold or kept fresh until the following season. Some fruits also make good storage crops and can last a long time when stored properly or turned into delicious baked goods and foods. These include winter squash, apples, pears, and Asian pears. There are so many ways to extend the freshness of local foods. Pickling, fermenting, and baking are just a few examples.
Get Social with BFBL!
This is a pilot initiative to create a casual space for all members of the local food system (aka you!) to come together and discuss current local food/farm/sustainability topics. This forum occurs monthly, is open to everyone, and operates via a virtual platform with some special in-person events.
*Stay tuned about upcoming forum discussions by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media.
