When you purchase strawberries in January or asparagus in November, you’re not eating locally. Are you causing more stress on the environment than you should?

Much of the food we eat in restaurants and buy in grocery stores comes from across the country, if not from around the globe. In fact, most produce grown in the U.S. makes a 1,500-mile journey before it’s sold.

Not so for your friends and neighbors who have become “locavores,” people concerned with their food’s origin. They place a high priority on food that’s grown locally—usually within a 100-mile radius of their homes, but sometimes anywhere in a state or region.

Reasons for “going local” vary, but benefits to the environment, personal health, and the local economy top the list. Specific positives include:

• Freshness. Locally grown fruit and vegetables have often been picked within 24 hours of purchase. In comparison, most produce offered for sale in supermarkets has likely been in transit or cold storage for days or weeks.
• Nutrition. The nutritional value of produce falls as time passes after harvest. Local foods are more nutritious and don’t need to be waxed, irradiated, or gassed to survive long trips.
• Taste and price. Eating local produce helps ensure your food is at its peak taste, in good supply, and well-priced.
• Regional economic health. Supporting local farmers keeps money in your community. Buying local also supports responsible land development, preserving open space by keeping land in use for farming.
• Environmental protection. Flying, trucking, and shipping food from its far-flung origins to your supermarket affects the environment. For example, 270 million pounds of grapes are shipped from Chile to California every year. Their 5,900-mile journey accounts for 7,000 tons of pollution.

Baby Steps to Change
Becoming a locavore isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition. These steps can start you in the right direction:

• Plant a garden. You can start in your own backyard by growing vegetables and planting fruit trees.
• Shop at a farmer’s market or a supermarket that sells local food. Let your supermarket’s manager know you would like to see more local produce for sale in your store. To find a farmer’s market in your area, visit Local Harvest at www.localharvest.org and enter your ZIP code.
• Choose five foods to buy locally. Starting with just a few foods can make the task more manageable. You might begin with apples, potatoes, lettuce, herbs, and greens, which can be grown throughout the continental U.S. Once you’ve met this goal, add poultry, meat, eggs, milk, and cheese.
• Find a local community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. CSAs let you invest in a local farm on a quarterly or yearly basis in exchange for a weekly allotment of assorted produce and other farm products. To find a CSA, see the Eat Well Guide at www.eatwellguide.org.
• Support restaurants that use local ingredients. Ask chefs at your favorite dining spots if they get any of their ingredients nearby.

What you eat affects the planet, your community, and your health. Being conscious of your food’s origin and supporting local producers fights global warming, supports local businesses, and lets you enjoy better nutrition.

By Barbara Floria, senior writer for Vitality. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture at www.nal.usda.gov.

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