Eating locally is one of the most important things you can do to support your local food community and reduce your environmental impact. But eating locally during the Colorado Winter can be a challenge.

Here are 5 ways to eat local through the Winter season:

1. Preserve the Harvest! Pickling, canning, fermenting and freezing are great ways to continue the summer/fall harvest into the winter. Check out the Slow Food Denver Preserve the Harvest series for educational tours and classes on how to carry your harvest into the next season.

2. Join a winter CSA. Not everything stops growing in the winter! You can still get winter vegetables and greens like turnips, squash, potatoes, kale, swiss chard and more into the new year depending on the weather. Some farms that have Winter CSAs in the Denver Area include: Cure Organic Farm, Aspen Moon, Chatfield Farms and more!

3. Find a local butcher. Eating local meats is a great way to support local farmers and ranchers in the Winter season. Check out The Local Butcher, Western Daughters Butcher Shoppe, Blackbelly Market, Il Porcellino and more!

4. Start small. It may be too early to plant a garden, but microgreens, sprouts and herbs can all be grown inside and will add a fresh taste to your winter meals.

5. Look for local products. One of the great things about living in Colorado is the abundance of thoughtful local producers. You can these in local markets and grocery stores all over the great Denver Area! Stop by Mondo Market, Whole Foods Market, Natural Grocers, King Soopers and more to find local treasures.

Did we leave something out? Email your tricks and tips to info@slowfooddenver.org.