Localvores

Gas is nearing $4 a gallon, that is no secret.

Did you know the average salad travels 1400 miles to get to you? That's a lot of gas.

You can grow salad in your backyard VERY cheaply-A pack of seeds is under$2.

Why are we eating 1400 mile salads? Why are we surprised when the cost of out of season produce (our own season that is) costs so much?

One of the reason is because we've come to expect things like salad whenever we want, rather than when salad is in season in the place that we live. Sometimes we don't even know what is in season in the place that we live.

Another reason is that some people don't want to grow their own salad. I get that. Some people, left to their own devices growing food would starve.

Everyone though, can start eating a little more locally.

During the past year, I've been becoming increasing interested in eating more locally. It makes sense to me on so many levels:

-Food is Fresher and tastes better-Who hasn't eaten a crappy tomato in January?
-Food is (marginally) cheaper
-The environmental impact of your food traveling to you is considerably less
-Less packaging, less waste.
-You are supporting your local economy
-Supporting locpal farms keeps ever single inch of your world from being taken over by suburban sprawl or in other words, by buying foods grown and raised closer to where you live, you help maintain farmland and green space in your area.
-You become more in touch with the seasons. You appreciate the juicy strawberries of June and the tart apples of fall.
-You can meet the people who grow your food

There is a current movement of people calling themselves Localvores-People who try and only eat things that originate within 100 miles of them. Barbara Kingsolver is just one of those people and she's written an incredible book, "Animal, Vegetable, Mineral," about her year of eating locally with her family. Nothing I can say can convince you as well as this book can. Read it! You'll thank me! It's a truly enjoyable read too!

Eating locally isn't as hard as it sounds. Start with your vegetables. Go to your local farmers market, join a CSA, grow your own garden. I also happen to live by a Wegman's, and in the summertime I have to say, for probably the past 10 years, they have been doing an excellent job of showcasing local produce. So for some of us, it's as easy as making good choices at the supermarket.

It's not more expensive than what you already do, it's just more fun, better for you, and better for our world!