WHAT IS MEANT BY LOCAL
The term "locavore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from the San
Francisco Bay Area for World Environment Day 2005 to describe and
promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested
from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius.
EAT SEASONALLY
By purchasing local foods in-season, you eliminate the environmental
damage caused by shipping foods thousands of miles, your food dollar
goes directly to the farmer, and your family will be able to enjoy the
health benefits of eating fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables.
Buying seasonal produce also provides an exciting opportunity to try
new foods and to experiment with seasonal recipes. And it simply
tastes better! We have found a great resource for food miles and
local eating at the Natural Resources Defense Council. They have every
state and every season easily accessible!
EAT LOCAL - IT HELPS THE LOCAL ECONOMY
Another benefit of eating locally is helping the local economy.
Farmers on average receive only 20 cents of each food dollar spent,
says Ikerd, the rest going for transportation, processing, packaging,
refrigeration and marketing. Farmers who sell food to local customers
“receive the full retail value, a dollar for each food dollar spent,”
he says. Additionally, eating locally encourages the use of local
farmland for farming, thus keeping development in check while
preserving open space.
Check out this study by the University of GA regarding the economy of
buying locally. According to a recent study by the University of
Georgia's Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development, if the
Peach State's approximately 3.7 million households spent just $10 per
week on Georgia-grown produce (from any source, not just directly from
producers), more than $1.9 billion could be pumped back into the
state's economy. There's more: for every 5 percent increase in local
produce purchases, Georgia would see 345 additional jobs, $43.7
million more in sales, and $13.6 million more in farmer income. To put
these numbers in perspective, direct farmer to consumer sales
currently contribute 132 jobs, $14.4 million in sales, and $4.5
million in labor income.
Thank you Norma for this information!! How motivating to buy locally!
Very cool information on how buying locally promotes your local economy. I just bought my firt bottle of local honey and we buy eggs from a local farmer. I am finding it hard in winter to do as well buying produce locally.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! This website (http://www.quick-salad-recipes.com/winter-produce-guide.html)provides a list of fruits/vegetables that are in season during the winter. I would suggest choosing from these when you are purchasing at your local grocery store. Also, I would use one of the websites in the previous postings to find a local grower near you. You could get in touch with them and find out what produce is grown throughout the colder months? Good luck! Let us know what you come up with!
ReplyDelete