There are many reasons which cause people to turn to green living. Some want to improve their family's health by eliminating chemicals and processed foods from their diets. Others want to make sure they are doing all they can to protect the environment. Eating locally is one green living maxim that applies no matter what one's motivation may be.
What is eating locally?
Eating locally is a simple means by which we can all reduce our impact upon the planet. By growing one's own food and buying from local farmers, one can dramatically lower the distance which our food is transported to reach one's table. Produce grown far away from New England in the southwest United States or even in other countries, must be loaded aboard trailer trucks, trains, or large oil-burning ships to be carried to local supermarkets. All of these transports emit greenhouse gases with every mile they travel. Eating locally reduces the emission of greenhouse gases and helps stave off global warming.
Benefits of eating locally
Eating locally also generally means that the produce one gets is more likely to be both fresher and produced on a smaller farm with fewer chemicals. While some small farmers do use harsh pesticides, herbicides and other dangerous chemicals, small diversely planted fields often require less treatment than large monoculture fields. With local farms you also have the luxury of asking the farmer directly if there is any doubt. Many local farms even offer annual open house tours of their operations.
The best local food source
Of course, there is no more local source for produce than one's own backyard. Growing one's own vegetables allows complete control of exactly what goes into the garden. It is also the hands down winner for the source of the freshest produce available. For many vegetables, nutritional content starts to slide downhill once they have been picked. If they need a week or more to ride across the country in the back of a truck to get to the store, nutritional values can be significantly lowered. Although the growing season in New England is shorter than other regions of the country, it is still possible to grow a significant portion of one's diet in a home garden.
Eating locally is easy
Eating locally can be phased in over time as one finds local food sources, or adds a few more square feet to their garden each year. Green living doesn't have to be hard; eating locally is one of the best and easiest ways to start lowering one's carbon footprint while helping one's family to eat healthier. As if that weren't benefit enough, gardening is also great exercise.
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