Buying Local

I just started a book by one of my favorite authors, Barbara Kingsolver. Many of her books take place in the souhwest, but this one is a grand departure. The book is called "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle," and already it's got me thinking. Kingsolver moved her family to Appalacia a few years ago, and tried for one year to grow her own food, raise her own animals, and what she couldn't do herself, buy from local farmers' markets. I am already inspired. No, I don't think I can do what she and her family did, but I can a least make a dent in the carbon footprint I am creating. So I did a little research and want to share my findings with you, and hopefully inspire you to take the challenge.

The challenge is this. Buy at least $10 worth of your fruits, vegetables, and protein each week from local farmers. That means food that has travelled less than 57 miles to get to the consumer. It also means eating one day's worth of meals from food that has been locally grown. Why is this so important ? So many reasons, so little time. I will tell you about the important reasons buy local and reduce your carbon footprint.

• buy fruits and veggies from farmers' markets or natural food stores. This reduces wasteful packaging, long truck rides for the food which produces tons of CO2, and the need for preservatives to maintain freshness. Local produce is trucked less than 57 miles to it's final destination, where the average supermarket carrot travels 1800 miles to reach the consumer. Also, the need for less or no packaging saves paper and plastic, and the fact that produce reaches the consumer in less than 24 hours means there is no need for preservatives, in many cases.
• Go vegetarian one day a week. This is a tremendous savings, when you think about what is involved in getting an animal to market. The carbon footprint to produce animal protein is eight times greater than to produce fruits and vegetables. Animals also produce methane while digesting food. One vegetarian day per week can reduce your carbon footprint significantly. However, if you must eat meat, go for free range grazing animals which have the least impact on the environment.
• Buy produce that is in season. Don't buy apples from New Zealand when we grow apples here in California. When you buy in season there are no CO2 emissions from greenhouses.
• Plant your own garden. For some this is not practical, but for most a pot of tomatoes or a small plot in the backyard will produce months of wonderful veggies, with very little work. The satisfaction from growing something yourself cannot be measured.
• Finally, and I think very impotantly, buying from local growers helps support small farms and businesses that are vital to our economy. All things being equal, I would always choose to support small business.

So get with the program. Try to make one small change. Just buying $10 worth of produce from the local farmers' market will make a difference, and once you get into it, you will find many more ways to help the environment and maintain a healthy diet.