As published in the Lafayette Today newspaper.
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The March 12, 2007 issue of Time Magazine featured a large red apple on the cover with a label on it that read “Forget Organic. Eat Local” and a subtitle “The best food you can eat may be in your own backyard.” Many of us in Lamorinda have probably heard the phrase “Eat Local”, and believe that it’s probably a good idea, but may be wondering why it’s such a big deal and how to actually do it.
Why is eating local such a big deal? Well, it may have started with an often-repeated statistic by Joan Gussow, a local-eating pioneer, that shipping a strawberry from California to New York requires 435 calories of fossil fuel but provides the eater with only 5 calories of nutrition. These days the new term is “food miles”—how many miles from farm to plate. According to the WorldWatch Institute, food consumed in the U.S. typically travels 1,500-2,500 miles to reach our plates, as much as 25 percent farther than in 1980 (1,500 miles is most often quoted). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the farther food travels the more fossil fuels are consumed and the more greenhouse gases are generated. In fact, the energy used for food production accounts for about 20% of all fossil fuel use in the United States, and the burning of these fossil fuels emits about three-quarters of a ton of carbon dioxide per person. Based on that, some experts say that what you eat may be as important as what you drive.
Besides being better for the environment, local food generally tastes much better because it is picked when it is ripe and is much fresher when we eat it. Buying local also helps preserve local farms and farmland, preventing more local food sources from disappearing.
What is the easiest way to eat local in Lamorinda?
Look for produce at the supermarket that is grown in California – California has an exceptional climate for growing fruits and vegetables year-round. Focus on eating what’s currently in season in California and look for “locally-grown” produce with the farm and location identified.
Buy produce at a local farmer’s market or farm stand – Farmer’s markets, like the ones we have in Moraga, Walnut Creek, and Orinda, offer a great place to buy fresh food directly from farmers that is grown less than 200 miles away. Hurst Farm at 716 St. Mary’s Road is a gem during the summer and fall. Deer Hill Ranch sells grass-fed beef, raised right in Lafayette, at the Moraga Farmer’s Market.
Join a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) group – Join with others in your community to invest in a local farm (many are out in Brentwood). At the beginning of the season, members pay the farmer a lump sum for a share of their harvest. Each week, or perhaps once a month in the winter, the farm delivers fresh fruits and/or vegetables to a central location.
Plant some fruit trees or a veggie garden in your own back yard – You can’t get more local than your own back yard. It’s surprisingly easy to grow your own veggies and involve your kids so they can see where food comes from and how it grows.
Besides eating local and choosing organic, it helps the environment to cut back on processed food (which take a lot more energy to produce) and meat (the least fuel-efficient food we have).
Helpful Resources
For more ideas on how to live sustainably, including success stories by your neighbors, please visit www.sustainablelafayette.net.
Local Harvest (www.localharvest.org) - Use their website to find farmers' markets, family farms, CSAs, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area.
Locavores (www.locavores.com) – A web site and group in the Bay Area that is making an effort to eat only foods grown within 100 miles.
link to PDF of Lafayette Today that
included article on page 9