How To Eat Local

Local food has a lot of great benefits. Local produce is much fresher because it doesn't travel long distances to get to you (it is picked and sold to you closer to when it will be ripe). And this lack of long distance travel of course saves all that fossil fuel needed to transport the food. Buying local also pumps money into your local economy (much more than buying food produced or grown far away). And that's just to name a few!

Interested in learning more about sustainable and local food issues?  Check out this great interview with Diane Hatz, founder and director of Sustainable Table.

1. Don't be afraid to ask where your food comes from. As much as you can, pick things that aren't grown half way around the world.
    
2. Go to your local farmers market. Find foods like fruit and vegetables, eggs, fish, and meat!  Not only will you cut down the transportation emissions associated with your foodies, you'll also get stuff that usually is riper AND tastes better.
    
3. Try smaller, local co-ops or ask about local food at Whole Foods.
    
4. Eat in season. A lot of times, we forget that every food (well, almost every food) has a season. Instead of opting for strawberries in November (assuming it's fall for you), try an apple!
    
5. Have some fun at a you-pick farm. Many of these farms offer different berries, peaches, pumpkins, and other good stuff.
    
6. If you live on the coast, it's likely that there are active fishers in your area. Look into either buying local, sustainably caught fish directly from fishers or from a fish market.
   
7. If you're a meat eater, look into grass-fed (and local) options with the help of Eat Wild.
    
8. Check out Local Harvest for information on farmers market, CSAs (community supported agriculture), farms, grocery stores, and restaurants that offer local and organic food in your area.
    
9. Check out Food Routes for local food info and where to find local farms, UPick areas, fruit stands and more.