My favorite time of year is almost here - farmer's market time! Even though there are a limited number of markets that are open year-round, most of them start opening around this time of year. Plus, the variety of produce abounds beginning in the spring. My preference is always to buy produce (and sometimes meat and bread) at the farmer's market, rather than the grocery store. By choosing the farmer's market, you are not only supporting local farmers, but you also know the produce is fresher (it can be picked when it is actually ripe, rather than being picked and artificially ripened so it looks good by the time it gets to the grocery store), and if you have any questions (about pesticide use, genetically modified products, growth hormones, etc.), you can ask!
Though I do not use one (yet!), a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is another great option for purchasing local produce. When you enroll in a CSA, you pay a set fee and receive periodic (often weekly) deliveries of whatever produce is ripe at that time.
Here are some resources for finding a farmer's market or CSA near you!:
http://www.localharvest.org/
http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/
The following two farmer's market networks operate specifically in the DC metro area:
http://www.freshfarmmarket.org/index.html
http://smartmarkets.org/
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