"Fresh & Local" Ain't Always Easy to Do, Y'all
To the surprise of many, folks in smaller towns, rural areas and even suburbs don't always have the opportunity to fully embrace locavorism. This lens will explain the situation and offer practical solutions.
Homebaked...as Delicious as Homegrown!
My Locavore Adventures
Appetizing, no?
But at least I knew from whence food came.
As I got older, I've always tried to shop locally and organically for produce. In fact, in college, it wasn't unusual for my roommates and I to visit Whole Foods--the original one on Austin's Lamar Avenue which was tiny and cramped and cozy.
Yet with friends and family scattered in sizes and types of communities and having visited lots of states, it's obvious to me that, try as we might, it's not always easy to find local food. Sprawl, fast food franchises, failed family farms, the costs of growing food of any size...there are lots of social and economic factors that have made it challenging.
Fortunately, with rising discussions about food safety and security running alongside renewed foodie appreciation of food quality, we're finally talking about local food in the media and online. But to ensure that a maximum number of people can benefit from this movement, we have to start talking about those areas of the country (including my own) that may have natural and cultural obstacles to participating in the shift to eating local.
That's how this lens came to be...I wanted to provide a forum for exploration and discussion. I hope you'll participate and share your thoughts and ideas. Real change comes through the engagement of ordinary people like me and you.
Yummy & Locally Grown - A Louisiana Market Stand
Best Reasons to Foster Locavorism
Lots of reasons to become a locavore...which ones are the most important? Our readers tell us...
Reduce Food Miles
Locally grown produce and products require less fuel for transport, which is beneficial for both the environment and our national security.0 points
Fresher Tastes Better
Because the nutrients and flavor bits (yup, a technical term!) begin to decay as soon as food is picked, food tastes better when consumed closer to harvest. And food that has to be transported long distances can sit for weeks before arriving at your grocery store.0 points
Fresher Can Be More Organic
The way the agriculture system is set up now, it's easier for smaller farms and gardens to be raised organically. Moreover, because of the closer personal connections fostered through locavorism, the consumer can pressure local farmers to go organic through social connections formed in local markets and roadside stands.0 points
Local Food is Healthier
If you're swapping locally grown 'maters, zukes and cukes for the overly processed stuff in your pantry, you'll be making a sound choice for your body...and your family.0 points
Eating Local is Fun
The adventure of "foraging" for fresh produce at farmer's markets, roadside stands and <i>even in your own edible landscape</i> can be enjoyable for people of all ages.0 points
By Eating Local, You Save Food for Others
Food secured locally frees up food elsewhere to go to other people...many of whom may need it more because climate change or political situations prevent easy access to food.0 points
Food for Thought
How to Foster & Promote Locavorism
Support Existing Initiatives...No Matter How Small
Whether it's a U-Pick-'Em berry farm or a tiny roadside produce stand, where you spend your $$ counts...think of it as a vote for your local economy!0 points
Find a Farmer's Market...or Create One
There's a terrific web site (www.localharvest.org) that can help you track down a farmer's market, if one is offered in your area. If there's not one (and you'll notice from the map on Local Harvest's main page that there are a LOT of places where no farmer's markets are available), consider starting one. Google is a great place to start...0 points
Use Social Networking & the Internet to Connect with Likeminded Folks
Whether it's a blog, a Meet Up or even a Yahoo! Group, technology is a powerful tool in helping you partner with other consumers in you area who share your taste for local!0 points
Consider a DIY Approach
Growing one's own food is a terrific alternative. If you're new to gardening, consider starting with containers. If you want to go bigger but space is an issue and/or soil is a challenge, try a raised bed. Also, community gardens are a good option...American Community Gardening Association is a great resource on this topic.0 points
Ask for More!
Grocery managers will listen to consumers...it's true. If you want more local produce and products, fill out a suggestion form (typically available from the customer service desk) and ask to speak to a manager. Some regional and national stores will also take suggestions online. To strengthen your case, ask like-minded neighbors and friends to follow suit. (This is why social networking is useful. You can use it to create a groundswell of support.)0 points
Clever, Clever
NPR's Splendid Table is hosting a year-long online project showcasing ordinary Americans trying to locavorism from coast-to-coast. Check it out:
Locavore Nation
LOCAvore or LOCALvore
Locavore was the Oxford American Dictionary's top word in 2007...and it's a clever one. Considering that it was coined just three years ago by a San Francisco-based group called, appropriately, Locavores--that's darn cool!
But for those of us who speak even a bit of Spanish...or once sang all the words to "Living La Vida Loca"...well, we know that "loca" means, among other things, "crazy." Not a great connotation... I can just hear the good ol' boys that hung 'round my grandfathers ranch, "You wanna be 'crazy-vore' now, city girl? Hahahahahaha..."
So, which do you prefer?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byLOCAvore
LOCALvore
EssOrg2 says:
Don't want a label that says we are as crazy as some view us already...I'll take the choice of LOCALvore!!!
Posted May 09, 2009
redwhiteandgrew says:
I'll vote for localvore...though anything that gets people talking about sustainable and healthy food sources is a net positive.
Posted July 24, 2008
Tell Us...
Have Land, Need Solutions
One gal figures out why it's tough to eat local in her 'burb
This morning, after my Pilates class (hu-llo, suburban stereotype!), I made a trip to my local weekly farmer's market. It's newish, actually...only set up within the last year. I must confess that I was positively elated to see it pop up, especially given how much I used to frequent this other market in Louisiana which I watched morph from a few small tables to a mighty, wonderful thing.When we moved back to Texas almost three years ago, I kinda went into shock without a market in place. Honestly, given that I was pregnant at the time...and then raising a kid...I didn't think too deeply about the "whys" of the local market dearth. I just shrugged it off that no one was interested.
I was wrong. There was much more at play.
Read more here
Oh, and you might want to read this bit, too, about how one tiny farmer's market came to be.
If You Like This Lens, Read My Blog
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byRelated Stuff Online
- Local Harvest / Farmers Markets / Family Farms / CSA / Organic Food
- Find locally grown produce, anywhere in the country! Just enter your zip code or use our interactive maps to locate farmers markets, family farms, food coops, CSAs, farm stands, and pick-your-own produce in your neighborhood.
- Kitchen Gardeners International
- If you want to learn to garden veggies and fruits, here's a great starting point! KGI is a nonprofit network of organic kitchen gardeners and home cooks from over 80 countries who are working to build a more healthful, sustainable, secure, and better tasting food system.
- The Splendid Table: Locavore Nation
- Follow locavores on their 2008 adventure in sustainable agriculture!
American Public Media's The Splendid Table is public radio's culinary, culture, and lifestyle program that celebrates food and its ability to touch the lives and feed the souls of everyone. - Locavores (San Francisco)
- This is where the term "locavore" got its start. An interesting site...good ideas that you might replicate in your area.
- EatLocalChallenge.com
- EatLocalChallenge.com is a group blog written by authors who are interested in the benefits of eating food grown and produced in their local foodshed.
Spanning the United States, the group is committed to challenging themselves to eat mainly local food during a specific period of time during the year. - American Farmland Trust: No Farms No Food - Local Food
- The message is simple and couldn't be more clear: America's farms and ranches provide an unparalleled abundance of fresh, healthy and local food, but they are rapidly disappearing.
Sign on to their Keep It Local pledge, download graphics and request a FREE "No Farms, No Food" bumper sticker for your wheels!
Related Stuff on Amazon
Even More Stuff On Amazon
Locavore-Friendly Gear
I'm a Locavore Women's Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Price: 22.99 
I'm a Locavore Tote Bag
Price: 16.99
I'm a Locavore Long Sleeve Dark T-Shirt
Price: 27.99
Take Me Women's Light T-Shirt
Price: 24.99
Eat Local Sticker (Rectangular)
Price: 5.99
Sound Off...or Just Plain Sign: Our Guestbook
Mickie_G wrote...
I love going to local farmer's markets in my area. My favorite is Pepper Place Market held during the growing months in Birmingham, AL.
Posted July 03, 2009
Locavore on Wikipedia
Note: This entry is re-routed to "local food"--same thing...
Farmers' market]]
Local food (also regional food or food patriotism) or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place"Feenstra, G. (2002) Creating space for sustainable food systems: lessons from the field. Agriculture and Human Values. 19(2). 99-106. and is considered to be a part of the broader sustainability movement. It is part of the concept of
local purchasing and local economies, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Those who prefer to eat locally grown/produced food sometimes call themselves locavores or localvores.Roosevelt, M. (2006) The Lure of the 100-Mile Diet. Time Magazine. Sunday June 11, 2006. Accessed at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200783,00.html on Nov 1, 2007 at 10:35 am PDT).
by redwhiteandgrew
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