Local Produce Expert Gets to the Root of Things

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kristina Plauche of on behalf of our Community of Losers. She had some great tips to offer for eating your fruits and veggies.

What prompted you to get into the produce business?

I used to participate in a co-op with friends, and I saw the advantages of healthy eating for my family. I shared in the responsibility of making produce selections for the co-op and had more and more friends asking me to make purchases for them. It seemed like a natural progression.

How did you get started?

We started in our family business in the garage, and it grew from there. A few years and a couple of babies later, we opened our present Kennesaw location two years ago in June.

What do you feel are some of the health benefits from adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet?

In addition to all the long-term health benefits that current statistics provide, I can personally say it has contributed to the health and well-being of my family. I have eight kids, and they have only been on antibiotics twice! I might have to chalk some of that up to good genetics, but they eat a diet rich in fruits and veggies.

Do you have any tips for incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet?

Stay positive. Be consistent, and eat them with every meal and snack. Don’t give up and try new things and new ways of preparing them. It may take a little more investment of your time, but it will be worth it.

Can you educate us on the merits of organic versus regular when choosing produce?

We follow the guidelines recommended by The Environmental Working Group (EWG). Organics are always more expensive than conventional produce, and not all organics are created equal. For example, much produce that is conventionally grown has such low levels of pesticides that buying organic just isn’t worth it. The EWG says you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by almost 80 percent just by choosing organic for The Dirty Dozen. These are the 12 fruits and vegetables that EWG testing classifies as containing the highest levels of pesticides. They are (worst first): celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, pears, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale/collard greens, cherries, potatoes and imported grapes.

You can feel good about eating The Clean Fifteen conventionally grown items because EWG studies have found them to have very minimal residue from pesticides. Those are: onions, avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi fruit, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe (domestic), watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potatoes, and honeydew melon.

With regard to our Community of Losers, what do you think a local produce market brings to Kennesaw?

In addition to giving the community choices for purchasing healthier eating options at affordable costs, it’s really a great sense of community on the whole. People come out, see friends, and support one another in their efforts. They stop, talk and get a good feeling of community. Some folks volunteer in the co-op and that is the heart and soul of our business. Our whole family is dedicated to serving the community. Our sons and daughter work with us in the business and as summer approaches, you will frequently see them working in the warehouse and carrying baskets to folks’ cars.

Do you have any favorite produce recipes you would like to share with our community?  

Our family loves:

 Tomato-Avocado Salsa

 3 medium tomatoes (or 5 Roma tomatoes) chopped

1 large avocado, peeled and diced

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 8 oz. can tomato sauce

salt to taste

Chop and combine all the ingredients. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips. Double the recipe, add some shrimp and make it a meal.

To join the co-op or check them out, visit farmersmarketbaskets.com. As we strive to practice better eating habits, I would like to invite you to join our Community of Losers. There are no fees. Please e-mail me for the details. As always, I hope to see less of you soon.