Local Foods Guide 2024-2026-
Our Local Foods Guide is a FREE resource that gives you the inside scoop on our local farms, markets, restaurants, events, farm stores, farm shares, and so much more! We print and publish a new copy every two years. Grab our recently updated print version at our partner locations or download it through the link below.
Download Key Resources from Local Food Guide Below 🔑👀
Harvest Calendar
Eating seasonally is one of the best ways to improve the sustainability and health of your diet! Our farmers grow foods at a time that is natural for our region and harvest them at their peak taste and nutritional quality. Then, they deliver it directly to you at our local markets, farmstands, and retail outlets. With the help of our Lehigh Valley farmers, Buy Fresh Buy Local developed this Harvest Calendar to provide guidance for buying produce when it’s in season. To learn more about some prominent PA produce options, see the “Fresh Right Now” flyers below.
Get Social with BFBL!
In 2023, we hosted a monthly forum discussion about different food & agriculture topics with the goal to create community and understanding of the significance of our food system. All were welcome and encouraged to participate no matter their background, current understanding of local foods, and purchasing habits.
In 2024, we are focusing on distributing our handy food guides and other free resources, as well as, engaging with our partners and consumers directly. If you’re a local organization, school, nonprofit or communtity group and are interested in having us present, table, and/or facilitate similar discussions, let us know! We are always interested in engaging with our community and sharing our resources!
Click here to see last year’s discussion topics and notes.
*Stay tuned about upcoming events and program opportunities by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media.
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.
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.
