In October 2008, hundreds of consumers participated in a national “Eat Local Challenge”. They committed to eating only locally grown food—traditionally defined as a 150-mile distance from home—for a period of 30 days. While organic food is still one of the fastest growing segments in the marketplace, local food is the latest trend. At a time with numerous food safety issues and produce and meat recalls, not to mention rising food prices, consumers want to know where their food is coming from, how it’s being produced, and what carbon footprint, or “foodprint”, it might have.

WHY GO LOCAL?

Fresh, local fruits and vegetables may retain more nutrients than produce shipped hundreds of miles. Estimates for how far American produce travels from farm to fork range as high as 1,500 miles, and the “food miles” for grocery store purchases can be up to an estimated 27 times higher than the food miles for local food. Local farmers also typically grow regional varieties, rather than produce bred to withstand shipping and long store shelf life. Not surprisingly, some consumers also claim that local food tastes better.

Local food can help cut back on climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions, and help protect air, water and soil quality. About ten percent of all commodity shipping is dedicated to food and agricultural products. Because local food travels shorter distances, it also typically requires less packaging and refrigeration, and if unprocessed, can save even more energy.

Buying local supports rural and urban farmers alike, and helps to create a stronger local economy. It’s estimated that the U.S. loses an estimated two acres of farmland every minute to development—a total of 1.2 million acres annually—and farms closest to urban centers are the most threatened. When you buy local food, you “vote” with your food dollars to help nearby farmers remain profitable and keep their land in agriculture.

If you grow some of your own food, you can transform suburban or urban spaces, whether a backyard lawn or a pocket-size perennial patch, into gardens that produce bounty for your table. Doing so can not only be rewarding, but good for your health and your wallet. For apartment dwellers, growing herbs in a window sill, or tomatoes or squash on a fire escape, can be a good way to start.

Courtesy of GreenerChoices.org
Follow this link to read the full article http://www.greenerchoices.org/products.cfm?product=localfo&pcat=food