Why Eat Local?

Cooking locally and seasonally means not having to add a lot of fancy things our food -- it already tastes great because it's fresh and at the prime of its life. Find easy, seasonal recipes here to make the most of local foods, sourced right from the farms here or near St.Louis!

In our modern age of food preservatives and additives, genetically altered crops and E. coli outbreaks, as with the recent spinach debacle, people are increasingly concerned about the quality and cleanliness of the foods they eat.

Given the impossibility of identifying the pesticides used and the route taken to grow and transport, say, a banana from Central America to our local supermarket, foods grown locally make a lot of sense for those who want more control over what they put into their bodies. Farmers who sell direct to local consumers need not give priority to packing, shipping and shelf life issues and can instead select, grow and harvest crops to ensure peak qualities of freshness, nutrition and taste. Eating local also means eating seasonally, he adds, a practice much in tune with Mother Nature.

We have categorized all our recipes according to seasons. This is so you don't have to come through each recipe to figure out what you can actually make at that time using just local ingredients! Use the season buttons on the navigation bar to see our recipes so you can begin your environmental/wallet friendly culinary adventure!

Where do I find locally sourced food?



    Cherokee Street International Farmers Market
  • Cherokee Street and Texas Avenue
  • 314-265-5140
  • cherokeemarket.org
  • 4-7 p.m. Fridays, June 15-Nov. 2
  • New this year. Affordable and culturally unique produce with an emphasis on farm produce grown locally by immigrant farmers and neighborhood youths.
    North City Farmers Market
  • Crown Square, North 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue
  • 314-241-5031
  • northcityfarmersmarket.blogspot.com
  • 9 a.m.-noon Saturdays, June 2-Oct. 13
  • About 20 vendors selling produce from the 13th Street Community Garden and other local growers, baked goods, coffee and artisanal items. Cooking demonstrations and music.
    Soulard Farmers Market
  • 730 Carroll Street (at Seventh Street)
  • 314-622-4180
  • soulardfarmers.com
  • 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wed,Thu; 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri,Sat, closed Sun-Tue year-round
  • The area's oldest farmers market. Local and broker-supplied produce; butcher, sausage and seafood stands; baked goods; plants and flowers; a spice and specialty shop; and several flea-market-style fashion and apparel stands.
    Tower Grove Farmers Market and Bazaar
  • Tower Grove Park, West of the pool pavilion
  • 314-772-3899
  • tgmarket.org
  • 8 a.m.-noon Saturdays, May 5-Nov. 3 (until 2 p.m. May 5 and Oct. 20)
  • 50 or more vendors selling locally grown produce, meat, eggs, cheese, baked goods, fresh pasta, coffee, crafts and more. Live music and free yoga and Qigong classes weekly.