10 Reasons to Eat Local
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Grokette
Posts: 3,330 Member
1) Locally grown food tastes and looks better because crops are picked at their peak.
2) Local food is healthier. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.
3) Local food preserves genetic diversity. Smaller local farms often grow many different varieties to provide a long harvest season, an array of colors, and the best flavors.
4) Local food is safe. Considering the recent e.coli. contamination this issue is becoming more of a concern to consumers. When consumers support a local grower they know the source of their food and can look the farmer in the eye.
5) Local food supports local families. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which helps farm families stay on the land.
6) Local food builds community. Consumers gain insight into the seasons and the land on which the food grew. Local food systems provide an opportunity for education because they allow access to a place where people can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
7) Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their products by marketing locally, they’re less likely to sell farmland for development.
8) Local food keeps taxes down. Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services.
9) Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.
10) Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow.
2) Local food is healthier. The shorter the time between the farm and your table, the less likely it is that nutrients will be lost from fresh food.
3) Local food preserves genetic diversity. Smaller local farms often grow many different varieties to provide a long harvest season, an array of colors, and the best flavors.
4) Local food is safe. Considering the recent e.coli. contamination this issue is becoming more of a concern to consumers. When consumers support a local grower they know the source of their food and can look the farmer in the eye.
5) Local food supports local families. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which helps farm families stay on the land.
6) Local food builds community. Consumers gain insight into the seasons and the land on which the food grew. Local food systems provide an opportunity for education because they allow access to a place where people can go to learn about nature and agriculture.
7) Local food preserves open space. When farmers get paid more for their products by marketing locally, they’re less likely to sell farmland for development.
8) Local food keeps taxes down. Farms contribute more in taxes than they require in services, whereas most development contributes less in taxes than the cost of required services.
9) Local food benefits the environment and wildlife. Well-managed farms conserve fertile soil and clean water in our communities. The farm environment is a patchwork of fields, meadows, woods, ponds and buildings that provide habitat for wildlife.
10) Local food is an investment in the future. By supporting local farmers today, you are helping to ensure that there will be farms in your community tomorrow.
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Replies
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Love this. In the UK, there's a company called Able and Cole who do organic, local veggies and we are trying them out next week.0
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Love this. In the UK, there's a company called Able and Cole who do organic, local veggies and we are trying them out next week.
That's awesome!! My CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) membership is done for the year so I am now shopping at a Local and organic shop called Local harvest.0 -
thank you for posting this. as a writer for sustainable food and gardening in new england, i think there's only one other factor that should be mentioned.
>>> not only should it be local, it should be seasonal. <<<
the carbon spent in heating a greenhouse for tomatoes in december, january or february is more than the carbon output for trucking tomatoes in from mexico during those months. the best solution? eat seasonally.
today is the last of our csa pickup. for the winter we will be depending on our storage items. this is the first year we are going to try to limit our produce to what we have stored aside from seasonal food still available at the farmer's market / grocer. the only exception i make for non-local food are things that simply don't grow here: the occasional banana, citrus, certain nuts...0 -
thank you for posting this. as a writer for sustainable food and gardening in new england, i think there's only one other factor that should be mentioned.
>>> not only should it be local, it should be seasonal. <<<
the carbon spent in heating a greenhouse for tomatoes in december, january or february is more than the carbon output for trucking tomatoes in from mexico during those months. the best solution? eat seasonally.
today is the last of our csa pickup. for the winter we will be depending on our storage items. this is the first year we are going to try to limit our produce to what we have stored aside from seasonal food still available at the farmer's market / grocer. the only exception i make for non-local food are things that simply don't grow here: the occasional banana, citrus, certain nuts...
I agree with the seasonal thing also. If we can get people started eating more local at first that is better than the food system we have now. Then we can focus on getting back to eating not only local, but also seasonal.
I am learning that with all the learned behaviors that people have been raised with and how everyone mostly wants convenience, we have to work at baby stepping the process backwards.
I don't really eat bananas very much any more, but Citrus fruits that are raised in Florida and California I am purchasing because they are in season this time of the year. Coconuts, etc........
It looks like I0 -
yeah, and the seasonal thing is way easier on the pocketbook. i have found myself not eating many bananas either. sometimes i get in a mood for them, but mostly i don't buy them because i don't typically shop the produce section of the grocer any more... (i really only shop for cheese and dried goods)
i think for nutrition/ health the local thing is the best option; if you're looking to make an environmental with the dollar vote, seasonal cannot be omitted from the purchasing point.
so it comes down to intent. i am 100% on board with buying local first, even if it is imported by a local importer. if i can help my neighbor, he's gonna be more willing to help me. if we can take care of ourselves, then we can reach out with our excesses to neighboring communities and so on, until everyone is satiated.0 -
Local is amazing.
It also helps to educate yourself. Many people don't understand how easily accessible these foods really are and how much better they are for you (and the support you give your local community).
Seasonal is great - that's how it should be and had been for the bulk of our life until mass transit came around. There's a reason why certain things only grow certain times of the year in certain places - that's how they work best.
Anyway, as for your CSAs ending, a farm near me has a winter CSA and a number of farmer's markets here are open year round. I've also signed up with a small farm that is doing small orders for people. It is possible to get some fresh veggies in the winter - but it's the winter veggies, like kale, beets, turnips.
Additionally, as kayemme knows, I've learned how to preserve my foods so we can eat our great foods year round.
Hopefully more people will learn how to make the best of the wonders nature makes around them.0 -
yeah, and the seasonal thing is way easier on the pocketbook. i have found myself not eating many bananas either. sometimes i get in a mood for them, but mostly i don't buy them because i don't typically shop the produce section of the grocer any more... (i really only shop for cheese and dried goods)
i think for nutrition/ health the local thing is the best option; if you're looking to make an environmental with the dollar vote, seasonal cannot be omitted from the purchasing point.
so it comes down to intent. i am 100% on board with buying local first, even if it is imported by a local importer. if i can help my neighbor, he's gonna be more willing to help me. if we can take care of ourselves, then we can reach out with our excesses to neighboring communities and so on, until everyone is satiated.
I completely understand what you are saying and where you are coming from...........
However, with a internet board filled with people that would rather have a Stouffers frozen lasagna and bagged salad for supper than to freshly prepare the above said meal.............we have to educate the masses in steps..........
I learned through my studies that most people just won't make the plunge from mainstream grocery shopping to Local, seasonal and sustainable living..............
So, if we educate people first to stop purchasing meats from factory farmers and instead buy from a local farmer for meat, eggs and even raw dairy (the government has people thinking something is wrong with milk straight from the cow and it is fine)........buying local fruits and veggies, etc...........
Just teach people to live off their local economy (even if that means buying some green house or hot house plant items) - still not the BEST, but much better than buying from the big chain grocers!!
Then keep educating until they are comfortable enough to start experimenting with purchasing seasonally...........
It is a slow going process, but if we can step through it one thing at a time, we will all get there eventually!!!
I do some preserving also. Mostly tomatoes, berries and green beans.0 -
yeah, and the seasonal thing is way easier on the pocketbook. i have found myself not eating many bananas either. sometimes i get in a mood for them, but mostly i don't buy them because i don't typically shop the produce section of the grocer any more... (i really only shop for cheese and dried goods)
i think for nutrition/ health the local thing is the best option; if you're looking to make an environmental with the dollar vote, seasonal cannot be omitted from the purchasing point.
so it comes down to intent. i am 100% on board with buying local first, even if it is imported by a local importer. if i can help my neighbor, he's gonna be more willing to help me. if we can take care of ourselves, then we can reach out with our excesses to neighboring communities and so on, until everyone is satiated.
I completely understand what you are saying and where you are coming from...........
However, with a internet board filled with people that would rather have a Stouffers frozen lasagna and bagged salad for supper than to freshly prepare the above said meal.............we have to educate the masses in steps..........
I learned through my studies that most people just won't make the plunge from mainstream grocery shopping to Local, seasonal and sustainable living..............
So, if we educate people first to stop purchasing meats from factory farmers and instead buy from a local farmer for meat, eggs and even raw dairy (the government has people thinking something is wrong with milk straight from the cow and it is fine)........buying local fruits and veggies, etc...........
Just teach people to live off their local economy (even if that means buying some green house or hot house plant items) - still not the BEST, but much better than buying from the big chain grocers!!
Then keep educating until they are comfortable enough to start experimenting with purchasing seasonally...........
It is a slow going process, but if we can step through it one thing at a time, we will all get there eventually!!!
I do some preserving also. Mostly tomatoes, berries and green beans.
There's a lot of lack of effort...but I think a lot of that comes down to people not knowing how to cook with real food any more. If you grab a "homecooking" cookbook at say a church fundraiser, it's full of recipes that use a can of X and a bag of Y, so you no longer have to know how to use real ingredients. When I tell people what I've done with my food, they look at me like I'm crazy - maybe for the amount of stuff I make for preserving, but also for the making so much from scratch.
People don't seem to understand how amazing real food is. Simply, amazing.
Back off Betty Crocker.
But there is one problem, for somethings, local isn't always cheap. For example, my grass fed local ground beef was $5.50/lb. I don't mind paying that amount because it's awesome, but at Publix ground beef is <$3/lb. What they save in $ I make up for in quality food.
BTW, I started a food preservation thread: Canning Club! If you want to join us, it's a bit slow at the moment since it's winter, but hey, you're invited!0 -
Love this!!0
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yeah, and the seasonal thing is way easier on the pocketbook. i have found myself not eating many bananas either. sometimes i get in a mood for them, but mostly i don't buy them because i don't typically shop the produce section of the grocer any more... (i really only shop for cheese and dried goods)
i think for nutrition/ health the local thing is the best option; if you're looking to make an environmental with the dollar vote, seasonal cannot be omitted from the purchasing point.
so it comes down to intent. i am 100% on board with buying local first, even if it is imported by a local importer. if i can help my neighbor, he's gonna be more willing to help me. if we can take care of ourselves, then we can reach out with our excesses to neighboring communities and so on, until everyone is satiated.
I completely understand what you are saying and where you are coming from...........
However, with a internet board filled with people that would rather have a Stouffers frozen lasagna and bagged salad for supper than to freshly prepare the above said meal.............we have to educate the masses in steps..........
I learned through my studies that most people just won't make the plunge from mainstream grocery shopping to Local, seasonal and sustainable living..............
So, if we educate people first to stop purchasing meats from factory farmers and instead buy from a local farmer for meat, eggs and even raw dairy (the government has people thinking something is wrong with milk straight from the cow and it is fine)........buying local fruits and veggies, etc...........
Just teach people to live off their local economy (even if that means buying some green house or hot house plant items) - still not the BEST, but much better than buying from the big chain grocers!!
Then keep educating until they are comfortable enough to start experimenting with purchasing seasonally...........
It is a slow going process, but if we can step through it one thing at a time, we will all get there eventually!!!
I do some preserving also. Mostly tomatoes, berries and green beans.
There's a lot of lack of effort...but I think a lot of that comes down to people not knowing how to cook with real food any more. If you grab a "homecooking" cookbook at say a church fundraiser, it's full of recipes that use a can of X and a bag of Y, so you no longer have to know how to use real ingredients. When I tell people what I've done with my food, they look at me like I'm crazy - maybe for the amount of stuff I make for preserving, but also for the making so much from scratch.
People don't seem to understand how amazing real food is. Simply, amazing.
Back off Betty Crocker.
But there is one problem, for somethings, local isn't always cheap. For example, my grass fed local ground beef was $5.50/lb. I don't mind paying that amount because it's awesome, but at Publix ground beef is <$3/lb. What they save in $ I make up for in quality food.
BTW, I started a food preservation thread: Canning Club! If you want to join us, it's a bit slow at the moment since it's winter, but hey, you're invited!
I have been reading it...............and I was a part of the canning club under my old username - July24Lioness0 -
But there is one problem, for somethings, local isn't always cheap. For example, my grass fed local ground beef was $5.50/lb. I don't mind paying that amount because it's awesome, but at Publix ground beef is <$3/lb. What they save in $ I make up for in quality food.
this is the biggest hurdle, i think. it *seems* more expensive to buy ground beef locally, but the satiation from it is so much more because it's more nutrient dense, so a person eats less of it. trust me, i spend $5/doz on eggs. i totally get it. but i eat less eggs because they fill me up so much better. i don't know exactly why, but i'm guessing that they are more nutritious and so my body doesn't need more of it.
it's a certain kind of mindset that we have to wrap our heads around: pay more, eat less. it's almost "unamerican" haah!
and while i agree, grok.. i really do, i just think it's important to mention why seasonal is equally important as local. and when i lived in california, all the local produce was still corporate. so it's not so easy to just say "buy local" because it means different things for different people -
however, i TOTALLY SUBSCRIBE to supporting a local economy and my farmer is one of the nicest guys i've ever known. he takes painstaking care for his soil and i reap the benefits. it's worth every single red cent.0 -
But there is one problem, for somethings, local isn't always cheap. For example, my grass fed local ground beef was $5.50/lb. I don't mind paying that amount because it's awesome, but at Publix ground beef is <$3/lb. What they save in $ I make up for in quality food.
this is the biggest hurdle, i think. it *seems* more expensive to buy ground beef locally, but the satiation from it is so much more because it's more nutrient dense, so a person eats less of it. trust me, i spend $5/doz on eggs. i totally get it. but i eat less eggs because they fill me up so much better. i don't know exactly why, but i'm guessing that they are more nutritious and so my body doesn't need more of it.
it's a certain kind of mindset that we have to wrap our heads around: pay more, eat less. it's almost "unamerican" haah!
and while i agree, grok.. i really do, i just think it's important to mention why seasonal is equally important as local. and when i lived in california, all the local produce was still corporate. so it's not so easy to just say "buy local" because it means different things for different people -
however, i TOTALLY SUBSCRIBE to supporting a local economy and my farmer is one of the nicest guys i've ever known. he takes painstaking care for his soil and i reap the benefits. it's worth every single red cent.
There is a total different mindset with things! We want quantity, seemingly not quality, for our $ here. That's most apparent in our grocery stores where the cheap stuff is full of fake things to bulk it up and the real food is pricier.
When you get quality foods, you get more out of it. So you definitely get more bang for your buck. What's the point in eating something your body can't use? Isn't that more wasteful than paying for real food?
I love that I can talk to the people who grow, care for, and pick the foods I am going to be putting in my body. They can tell me so much more about what it is that they have in stock than the 16yo zit faced kid in the chain grocer. (And even the 16yo zit faced local farm kid can tell me the stuff his family has!) There is pride in what they are doing and I know they are going to take care of what they have because they live off of it too. Plus, they usually have some great recipes!
btw, Grokette, I didn't realise you were J24L!0 -
my town has a bunch of farms and farm stands - i love it!0
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I agree with the both of you!!!
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my CSA!!! I can't wait to pick up my organic turkey next Wednesday for Thanksgiving along with the sweet potatoes, collard greens, kale and pecans. All organic and fresh!!!
That is the last of my CSA which was a separate order. I actually got to go personally pick out the turkey running around on the farm and they tagged their foot with my name on it...........0 -
I pick my turkey up this weekend! I'm so excited! They're the most juicy amazing birds. I didn't get to pick out my bird, though.
I'm getting a chicken too - my bf's aunt makes dressing with a roasted chicken. hehe My way of sneaking in some goodness to her cooking. :devil:
Ordered extra veggies this week as well. The farmers I have been dealing with have these awesome carrots. mmm
Looks like we have similar planning!0 -
I pick my turkey up this weekend! I'm so excited! They're the most juicy amazing birds. I didn't get to pick out my bird, though.
I'm getting a chicken too - my bf's aunt makes dressing with a roasted chicken. hehe My way of sneaking in some goodness to her cooking. :devil:
Ordered extra veggies this week as well. The farmers I have been dealing with have these awesome carrots. mmm
Looks like we have similar planning!
Yes, we are doing a very simple Thanksgiving this year and hubby and I are staying to ourselves to resist the temptation of everything else..............
We are having:
Organic, Free Range Turkey
Organic Sweet Potatoes
Organic Turnips
Organic Collard Greens
Sweet Potato Pie made with organic sweet potatoes, free range eggs, raw milk, pure vanilla and a nut crust.
I will also make my hubby some home made yeast rolls.0 -
we live far from our families, so we're having an "orphan's" thanksgiving with some friends. i will likely bring something with turnips & leeks, since we're kind of in excess of them right now.
i prefer organic, but am not a purist by any means; i would abandon the organic label for someone i know in a heartbeat - my farmer isn't certified organic, but he grows organically and is a soil preservationist...
usually we have a pretty simple thanksgiving with just ourselves, so i'm excited to spend it with friends this year!0 -
we live far from our families, so we're having an "orphan's" thanksgiving with some friends. i will likely bring something with turnips & leeks, since we're kind of in excess of them right now.
i prefer organic, but am not a purist by any means; i would abandon the organic label for someone i know in a heartbeat - my farmer isn't certified organic, but he grows organically and is a soil preservationist...
usually we have a pretty simple thanksgiving with just ourselves, so i'm excited to spend it with friends this year!
Our CSA is organic.......0 -
I also support the eat local movement.
My husband is a full time beef farmer - and we often sell a beef to a consumer. That beef they get is hormone free, antibiotic free, steroid (which is a hormone) free, and has been raised on local grass.
We are not certified organic, as we feed the beef feeds not certified organic, nor is the fertilizer we spread on the grass to make it grow certified organic. Any customer is welcome to visit our farm at any time.
We eat our own beef, veggies, etc. And I do a fair amout of freezing for the winter . (I'm not much of a canner!)
I also raise a 1/2 acre garden in the summer-time and from Late May till Early September I rarely visit a grocery store. :-)0 -
Clearly none of you live in urban Canada.
I try to buy local in the summer, but if I want to eat anything other than rutabaga and turnips in the winter, I'm importing. And I do. Because I freaking hate turnips and rutabaga.0
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