Did you know that the fewer steps there are between where your food came from and your table, the less chance there is of contamination?
This is just one of the many reasons why many people are choosing to primarily eat locally grown food. Another reason is that eating locally reduces greenhouse gasses released during transportation. Just think about it – if your apple comes from the other side of the world, what energy had to be expended to get it to you?
It’s not only the environment that suffers when your fruit and vegetable is shipped over from the other side of the world. The nutrients in the food are also sacrificed. Nutrient levels peak at packaging and the environment in which the food is stored and shipped often take a toll on the produce. Locally produced food is able to ripen longer before being picked allowing it to reach maximum nutrient quality before being brought the short distance to the consumer.
Eating local also supports biodiversity. You will find that your locally produce may have contain varieties you don’t find in bigger stores that only carry trucked in foods. This provides a greater more satisfying range to the palate as well as a market and reason to continue growing different varieties of a food.
Those who eat locally, or “locavores” have diets more in tune with the seasons. This means they aren’t eating the same foods year round which helps vary the nutrients ingested and is better for one’s health.
Some people like to eat foods produced locally because it helps them feel more connected with their community. Money spent in small businesses like local farms is more likely to stay in the community versus money spent in big box stores or chains. There is also a personal satisfaction that comes from meeting the people who help grow and care for your food, or just getting to know your neighbors.
There are several ways to source local food in your area. Check out what is available near you.
1.) Check out farmer’s markets where farmers or their representatives meet to sell directly to consumers like you.
2.) Subscribe to a CSA. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Consumers buy a share of a harvest up front and usually collect the produce from one location or have it delivered.
3.) Visit alternative food spaces like pick-your-own farms.
4.) Consider growing your own garden or sharing a garden with your friends and neighbors.
photo credit: © Miroslav Vajdić for openphoto.net
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