Local Food-It's Where It's At

Eating locally is not only delicious, but it’s patriotic and socially and environmentally responsible too. Locally grown produce wasn’t picked then shipped literally across the word like much of the produce at the grocery store which has racked up some significant food miles. A food mile is the distance a food has travelled from harvest to plate. 

Food miles are garnering attention because they account for a significant portion of greenhouses gases. Food is shipped by plane, train, boat and truck to get from South America, for example where strawberries are grown during the winter months, to your plate here in the northern hemisphere. Of course taste is compromised when food travels long distance but this practice is also unsustainable. We cannot continue to deforest rain forests, use natural resources in shipping and produce copious amounts of packaging waste so we can have fresh strawberries in our oatmeal in January. 

Fortunately there is something that we can each do. You may have even noticed the trend in your neighborhood; the Eat Locally Movement is on! 

Two Simple Ways to Eat Locally:

Farmers’ Markets
Farmers’ markets are direct selling by small farmers to the public. Generally a group of local farmers sell produce (and sometimes other goods like honey or homemade soaps) once or twice a week at a designated public place like a park or parking lot. Visiting a farmers’ market is a great way to speak to the person who actually grew the food that you and your family are eating. Of course the variety is limited by the climate and season, but the farmers often have great tips for preparing the produce they are selling. Don’t forget to bring your own bags too!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSAs require a little more commitment but are worth it. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" of his farm to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. This arrangement works great for both the farmer and the consumer. According to www.localharvest.com, tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. Something is catching on!

These two ways to eat locally are simple, inexpensive and delicious, find a farmers’ market or CSA today.