tip_of_month
Tip of the Month - August 2010
As published in the Lafayette Today newspaper.
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How Does Eating Locally Grown Food Help the Environment?

In our modern age of food preservatives and additives, genetically altered crops and E. coli outbreaks, people are increasingly concerned about the quality and cleanliness of the foods they eat. Given the impossibility of identifying the pesticides used and the route taken to grow and transport, say, a banana from Central America to our local supermarket, foods grown locally make a lot of sense for those who want more control over what they put into their bodies. Eating locally grown food has many important benefits, which are described below, and there are more and more ways to find it right in Lafayette.

Eat-Local-Farmers-Mkt
Locally Grown Food Tastes Better John Ikerd, a retired agricultural economics professor who writes about the growing “eat local” movement, says that farmers who sell direct to local consumers need not give priority to packing, shipping and shelf-life issues and can instead “select, grow and harvest crops to ensure peak qualities of freshness, nutrition and taste.” Eating local also means eating seasonally, he adds, a practice much in tune with Mother Nature.

Eat Locally Grown Food for Better Health “Local food is often safer, too,” says the Center for a New American Dream (CNAD). “Even when it’s not organic, small farms tend to be less aggressive than large factory farms about dousing their wares with chemicals.” Small farms are also more likely to grow more variety, says CNAD, protecting biodiversity and preserving a wider agricultural gene pool, an important factor in long-term food security. Finally, it has been scientifically proven that there are more nutrients in produce that is grown through sustainable practices.

Eat Locally Grown Food to Reduce Global Warming Eating locally grown food even helps in the fight against global warming. Rich Pirog of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture reports that the average fresh food item on our dinner table travels 1,500 miles to get there. Buying locally produced food often significantly decreases the amount of fuel burned in transportation and energy used in storage.

Eat Locally Grown Food Helps the Local Sustainable Farmer and His/Her Land Another benefit of eating locally is helping the local sustainable farmer. 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. Finally, most local farmers practice sustainable farming practices, using few if any chemicals and practicing farming methods which preserve the soil.

You may be wondering how to find locally grown food in Lafayette. Following are five easy ways:
  1. Check at Local Markets - In Lafayette, one can find fresh, locally grown produce at Diablo Foods, Open Sesame and Chows. You might want to ask at the store where and how the food is grown.
  2. Buy A Share in a CSA - There are a number of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms providing food to families in the Lafayette area, including Eat Outside the Box, Shooting Star CSA, Terra Bella Farm, Freewheelin’ Farm, Eatwell Farm, Farm Fresh to You, and others. Each of these has drop-off locations in Lafayette. For more information please visit: http://www.sustainablelafayette.net/residents/local-food.html or any of their web sites.
  3. Try an Organic Delivery Service - Planet Organics is a delivery service which provides weekly or bi-weekly door to door delivery of organic produce and other grocery items. For information, visit their website at www.planetorganics.com.
  4. Shop at a Farmers’ Market - Shopping regularly at local farmers’ markets or farm stands tops the list of how to buy local produce. In our area there are farmers markets in Lafayette (Thursday 4 – 8), Walnut Creek (Sunday 8-1), Orinda (Saturday, 9 – 1), and Moraga (Sunday, 9 – 1).
  5. Grow Your Own - The best way to make sure you’re eating locally is to grow your own produce or cooperate with a neighbor in growing food! There’s nothing better than a tomato or apple just picked from your garden! Studies have shown that the number one reason that people don’t grow their own food is lack of confidence and know-how. There are many workshops and sources of help available, including nurseries and garden clubs. One resource available in Lafayette is The Urban Farmers: www.theurbanfarmers.org . Try growing some of your own food! You’ll be glad you did.

Take the Eat Local Challenge! Try spending 10 percent of your grocery budget on foods grown within a 100-mile radius of home. In addition, try eating one new locally grown fruit or vegetable each week, and freeze or otherwise preserve some food to enjoy later in the year.

To read success stories about how Lafayette residents are shifting to more sustainable food options and other ways of living sustainably, please visit www.sustainablelafayette.net and the “Local Food Page.”




pdflink to PDF of Lafayette Today that included article on page 7