Local Food: TAKING IT TO THE TABLE!

Remember when you were a little kid, the heat of the summer had just invaded and your mom took you out to a farm in the middle of nowhere to pick the fruit of the gods...the strawberry. Why did that strawberry taste so sweet? Why is it like no strawberry you've every purchased from the supermarket?

Maybe you've seen an "Eat Local" sticker on the back of the car in front of you, or as you're walking into your favorite local restaurant, or maybe you've heard someone use the word "locavoire". All of these trendy sounding eco catch phrases are actually referring to a much more outdated idea of living. Its being concerned where your food is coming from, like what kind of pesticides and practices are being used to grow your food or raise your meat, how many miles your food had to travel to make it to your dinner table, or what kind of ingredients have been 'processed' into your food to extend its shelf life.The idea really goes beyond your dinner table and into every part of your life, buying anything that is made and available locally is a positive economic influence on your community as well as contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle.

What is the difference between sustainable and local?

Sustainability actually includes buying local, but its also the environment the local food is grown; if its organic, if they used pesticides, hormones, or antibiotics. If its from a factory farm or not--just because you live near a Tyson chicken farm doesn't mean that you are getting healthy chickens like you would get at the free range small organic farm further down the road that are also hormone and antibiotic free. They're just not going to compare. Local is going to begin in rings, the first one being the smallest and it begins in your own backyard. Create your own garden, grow butterfly attracting flowers, learn about new trends in 'city livestock' laws. It not only reduces energy consumption, but enriches your soil, maintains air and water quality, and inputs local money into the local economy. The next ring is your town, then your county, region, state, etc. Eating local technically means that it is bought within 100 miles of your location. Many restaurants that are members of the local food chapter must get food from within those 100 miles to qualify; but for our own personal purposes there is really no constraints.

How do I Eat Local?

As I said, your home garden is your first step. Check out my blog about my home garden at A Chef's Home Garden. I just so happen to live in Chapel Hill, NC, a town that has been in the recent national spotlight for the local farm local food movements. Within 20 miles of my house there are 60 farms, 9 farmers markets, 2 co-ops, 1 creamery, 12 restaurants that are local food members, 9 local food and farm organizations, 1 ranch, and 14 CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture).It is incredible...If you're not as lucky as me your first step is going to be to find a farmers market nearby. In North Carolina we have 5 large state farmers markets distributed around the state's major metropolises. Then you have your pool of local farmers markets, roadside stands, etc. This enables farmers to make 80 to 90 cents for each dollar spent by the consumer. Plus you'd be amazed at how inexpensive plants and produce are at these kinds of places. You can also find local food at places like Whole Foods, look at the label on the produce, dairy, or meat to see if it is from a farm near you. Find out what kinds of seafood are readily available nearby. Farm raised seafood is not always bad, but seafood that has been frozen is!

My local Farmers Market in Carrboro, NC

This is an amazing website to check out to find all local foods in your area at the Eat Well Guide.

**The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture found that a typical carrot travels 1,838 miles to your dinner table**