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38 results for "asparagus"
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ProduceAsparagus
Asparagus is one of the first serious vegetables of spring: quick-cooking, delicate, and best when it is handled simply. The main skill is knowing how to choose fresh spears and stop cooking before they go soft.
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ProduceWhat is asparagus and how to cook it
Asparagus is one of the clearest signs of spring because it is tender, quick-cooking, and best when treated simply. The trick is to stop cooking it as soon as it is just done.
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Guide
Spring Produce Guide — Ramps, Asparagus, Strawberries, and More
Spring brings some of the most prized and fleeting produce of the year. Here's what to look for, when to find it, and how to make the most of the short window each crop is available.
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CollectiveWeekly Best Buys — April 17, 2026
Five things worth buying local this week. Asparagus is in, strawberries aren't, eggs are always right, and two more.
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Guide
What to Buy From Local Farms in Spring
Spring is the most exciting time to shop from local farms — the season kicks off with crisp greens, fresh eggs, and a wave of early produce you won't find anywhere near as good in a grocery store.
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CollectiveSpring Opportunities — what buyers want this season
Demand signals from local food buyers in April–June 2026. What categories will move, what pricing windows exist, and which opportunities to commit to this season.
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CollectiveThe Spring Local Buying Guide
What's actually worth buying local this spring — and what's not ready yet no matter what the sign says. A member's guide to eating well from April through early June.
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Guide
Best Local Superfoods You've Never Heard Of — Ramps, Pawpaws, Nettles, and More
The most nutritious and flavorful wild and foraged foods in the eastern United States are rarely found in grocery stores — because they can't survive the supply chain. Here's what to look for and why these hyper-local…
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Guide
Best spring vegetables to buy locally
Not all spring vegetables are worth seeking out from a local farm — but some are dramatically better when grown nearby and harvested fresh. Here are the ones worth prioritizing this season.
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Guide
Family habits that make seasonal eating easier
Seasonal eating sounds appealing in theory but can feel hard to maintain with a busy family. The right small habits make it significantly more manageable over time.
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Guide
Farm box vs traditional grocery delivery
Farm boxes and grocery delivery services both bring food to your door, but they work very differently. Here is a clear comparison to help you decide which fits your life.
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Guide
Grocery store produce vs farm-fresh produce
Grocery store produce and farm-fresh produce are not the same thing — and understanding the differences can help you make better decisions for your kitchen and your budget.
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Guide
How chefs build better menus with seasonal ingredients
Seasonal menus are not just a trend — they reflect how thoughtful chefs approach flavor, cost control, and creative freedom. This is how professional kitchens use seasonal local ingredients to build menus that stay…
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Guide
How seasonal eating can encourage more variety
When you shop for what is in season rather than reaching for the same items year-round, you naturally end up cooking with a wider range of vegetables, fruits, and ingredients — often without trying to.
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Guide
How to build a spring meal plan around local produce
Spring produce arrives fast and changes week to week. A flexible meal plan built around what is actually available makes cooking easier and reduces waste.
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Guide
How to build simple meals around what is in season
Seasonal cooking does not require elaborate planning or specialty skills. Learning a handful of flexible meal templates and pairing them with what is available locally is all it takes to cook well with what is in season.
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Guide
How to eat seasonally in early spring
Early spring is a transition season — not winter anymore, but not yet peak growing season either. Here is how to eat well with what is actually available right now.
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Guide
How to make nourishing meals easier with seasonal ingredients
Seasonal ingredients are not just fresher — they are also easier to cook well, which makes building consistent, nourishing meals more practical for the average home cook.
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Guide
How to Meal Plan Around Seasonal Produce
Seasonal eating doesn't have to mean chaos in the kitchen. Learn how to build a flexible meal plan that works with what's fresh, local, and delicious right now.
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Guide
Local Food vs Organic Food — Which Matters More?
Local and organic are not the same thing, and choosing between them depends on what you're buying. Here's how to think about both labels and when each one actually matters.
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ProduceMixed Seasonal Vegetables
Cooking with whatever is in season locally — rather than building a recipe and then hunting for ingredients — is how home cooks ate for most of human history. It is also how you get the best-tasting food for the least…
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ProduceMixed Vegetables
Knowing how to cook a mix of vegetables well — whatever you have on hand — is one of the most practical skills in the kitchen. The key is understanding density, heat, and timing, not following a specific recipe.
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CollectiveProduce Storage & Use Guide
Local produce spoils because people store it like supermarket produce. Four storage rules cover 80% of what you'll buy. Here they are.
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Guide
Seasonal eating vs year-round grocery shopping
Eating seasonally and shopping year-round at a grocery store are two different ways to approach food. Each has real trade-offs worth understanding before you decide how to shop.
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Guide
Spring farmers market favorites you can also buy online
Many of the best things you find at a spring farmers market are also available through local farm online shops — without the early-morning trip or weather uncertainty.
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Guide
Spring produce guide: what is in season and how to use it
Spring brings some of the most exciting produce of the year — tender greens, early alliums, fresh herbs, and the first sweet strawberries. This guide covers what is actually in season and how to make the most of it.
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ProduceStrawberries
Strawberries are the first real fruit of summer — and the produce where the gap between local and shipped is widest. A ripe local strawberry tastes of strawberry. A shipped one tastes of pink water.
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Guide
The best local foods to bring to a gathering
Whether it is a dinner party, a potluck, or a holiday table, bringing food from a local farm makes a stronger impression than anything from a grocery store shelf.
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Guide
The environmental benefits of shorter food miles
Food miles measure how far food travels from producer to consumer, and shorter journeys can reduce transport emissions — but the relationship between distance and environmental impact is more complicated than it looks.
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Blog
This week in food and farming: April 18, 2026
As of April 18, 2026, the most useful food-and-farming updates are about mixed cost pressure, planting intentions, and specialty-crop reporting deadlines. Here is what changed and what to do with it this week.
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Guide
What eating better can look like without being extreme
Improving how you eat does not require eliminating food groups, following a named protocol, or overhauling your life. It often starts with simply using better ingredients more consistently.
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Guide
What fresh eggs, greens, and early harvests say about spring
Spring's first farm offerings — eggs, leafy greens, and early root crops — tell you a lot about what the season is and why it is worth paying attention to.
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Guide
What to buy first when shopping local
Not sure what to order on your first local food shop? Some products deliver a much more noticeable improvement over the grocery store version than others. Start with these.
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Guide
Why Buying Local Food Matters More Than Ever
Local food isn't just a trend — it's a practical choice with real benefits for your health, your community, and the farmers who grow your food.
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Blog
Why farmers are shifting acreage between soybeans and corn
USDA's March 31, 2026 planting-intentions report showed fewer planned corn acres and more planned soybean acres. Here is what the public data suggests, and what it may mean without pretending every grower is making the…
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Guide
Why local food shopping feels more connected
Shopping for local food feels different from a standard grocery run — and it is not just nostalgia. There are real reasons why buying closer to home creates a sense of connection that impersonal shopping cannot…
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Guide
Why seasonal eating makes sense
Eating seasonally isn't about following a food trend — it's a practical way to get better flavor, lower prices, and more variety over the course of a year.
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Guide
Why spring is the perfect time to start shopping local
If you have been thinking about buying from local farms but have not made the leap yet, spring is the best season to start. Here is why the timing works in your favor.
