When you buy an apple at the supermarket, do you get to shake hands with the person who picked it? “Two or three generations ago, consumers knew the people who grew and produced the food they ate,” says Ed Kenney, chef/owner of the restaurants Town, in Kaimuki, and Downtown @ the HiSAM, at the Hawaii State Art Museum. “You knew the noodlemaker, you talked to your baker and your butcher.”

Today, Kenney says, farmers’ markets offer us renewed opportunities to build relationships with the people who actually grow our food. In addition to offering an incredible selection of more nutritious produce at reasonable prices, farmers’ markets also save fuel and support the local economy. What’s more, shopping at farmers’ markets helps us reconnect with our food and where it comes from. Short of growing our own food, what could be greener than that? Here are a couple of tips on buying—and eating—locally.

Local vs. Organic

Kenney’s motto, “local first, organic when possible, with aloha always,” is a good one to remember. In Hawaii, the number of certified organic local growers is increasing each year. If we continue to support local agriculture, Kenney says, we’ll have even more organic options in the future. Local, organic foods are ideal, but, as a general rule, eat foods that have traveled the least distance to get to you.

Farmers’ Markets vs. Open-Air Markets

Don’t confuse resale produce with the real deal. Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation farmers’ markets, including the Saturday Farmers’ Market at Kapiolani Community College (left), offer Hawaii-grown and -produced products only, no Mainland or big-box produce or flowers allowed. For a list of market locations from Waianae to Kailua, visit www.hfbf.org.