Four Tips to Eating Local

By James Kim

As organic food firms have started to utilize long-distance and eco-detrimental shipping methods, the environmentally conscious have turned to eating local as the solvent. How does eating local help the globe? Because the food travels less (only going from local farm to local market) the carbon footprint is minimized. Additional perks of eating local include fresher food and the strengthening of local business. Here are some easy ways to go local in your meal planning.

Farmers’ Markets

Go to a farmers’ market! Not only are these gatherings good, clean fun for any food-lover, but you can buy fresh food straight from the person who has grown it. To find a farmers market in your area, don’t hesitate to visit the USDA website, which has a search engine that can help you find your nearest farmers’ market.

Sometimes, farmers will allow you to even visit their farms, giving you an even better idea of where your food is coming from. To find local farms in your area, poke around the Eat Wild website.

CSA

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program through which a farmer can offer a box of fresh farm products to the public in exchange for a flat rate “subscription” or “membership.” Local Harvest describes CSA and provides tips on picking the best farm for you. They also provide a CSA program search engine. Just enter your zip code and start lookin’!

Find a Local Food Restaurant

Local food restaurants are becoming more and more popular. Ask around or do a little online research to find a local food restaurant or stand near you. You might also consider asking farmers at farmers’ markets if they would mind giving you a list of restauranteurs they sell to. Search engines like Organic Highways and Organic Kitchen can also help you find locally grown food.

Grow Your Own

Last but certainly not least: grow your own local food! This inexpensive option for local food could be a great way to get a couple of local food items from your own back yard. Try planting an herb garden at your sink or growing some berries in the corner of your yard. You may also consider buying a few chickens if you’re feeling especially ambitious. These animals will happily pluck away flies and insects from your back yard and provide you 1 egg each every 24-48 hours.

So why not go local? For a food-lover, getting closer to your food is never a bad thing. Happy eating.

James Kim is a writer for foodonthetable.com.  Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services.  Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.