Ideal Bite

Is everybody doin' a brand new dance now?

Submitted by tmeronek on Mon, 03/17/2008 - 1:02am.

The Bite:

C'mon, c'mon... To kick off a week of green myth-busting, we're starting right in your area. Buying local food is often better for the planet than buying organic, since an organic potato from Peru takes so much more energy to ship than a nonorganic one from Idaho. With more markets starting to label their food, it's just slightly harder than learning your ABCs.

The Benefits:

Ridin' the fresh train. Produce shipped from outside the country travels up to two weeks before it arrives in grocery stores.
Giving local farmers a chance now. If you buy goods produced nearby, you'll keep more money in your community...and more farmland.
Jumping back from energy waste. It takes 4-17 times less oil to produce local food compared to nonlocal.
Getting off the bruise-control track. Food that has to travel long distances usually requires additional packaging and may have been genetically modified in order to survive the trip.

Personally Speaking:

"Locally grown" signs have been popping up next to the "organic" signs at Whole Foods and our local supermarket chains, which makes our jobs as consumers a little easier.

Wanna Try:

Local Harvest - locate a farmers market or CSA near you.
Sustainable Table - see what's in season in your area.
100 Mile Diet - feeling ambitious? Find out what it takes to eat only food produced within a 100-mi radius of your home.