Warm weather is upon us and your local food markets brimming with fresh and seasonal fruits and vegetables. With the winter a distant memory, spring is definitely the ideal time of year to make small changes in your diet and lifestyle which will help you eat more locally and organically.

Here are some simple and easy tips to help you become an organic foodie or localvore:

1. Visit a farmers market. Farmers markets are popping up all over the place in our cities and towns and they are one of our best tools in the quest to eat locally. These markets are made up of small local food companies and farmers who are trying to sell their product to local consumers. The pay off is for both of us; they benefit from lower costs relating to travel and yields and we benefit from wonderfully fresh produce that has not traveled those 2000 miles!

2. Don't have a farmers market close by? Browse your supermarket or grocery store for locally grown items rather than items which have been shipped internationally. If your store isn't carrying local food, talk to the manager and ask them to start selling local.

3. Support your local food companies and restaurants. A great way to show community support is to buy from the small independent food companies since most are dedicated to buying local produce from local farmers.

4. Grow your own fruits and vegetables. The Zero-mile diet is gaining in popularity. Even those of us with a tiny green backyard space can create an herb and vegetable garden. There are plenty of books out there about small space gardening.

5. Purchase a cookbook dedicated to organic, seasonal or local recipes. Plenty of Canadian celebrity chefs and restaurateurs are getting on the local and organic bandwagon and publishing cookbooks dedicated to local cuisine. If you live on the west coast try Fresh: Seasonal Recipes by John Bishop. For a more thorough look into the Canadian farming and local produce industries try Margaret Webb's Apples to Oysters or Anita Stewarts Canada.