As the local food movement grows, it’s important to think about what the term “local food” really means.  Like the term “organic,” it’s evolving quickly, and being co-opted by big companies and sneaky marketers in order to sell more goods.

When I talk about local food, I mean food that has been grown or raised within an easy drive from my home.  If I can get there in under 2 hours, I’m happy to call it local.  That agrees pretty closely with the definition of a “locavore,” someone who eats only that which is grown or raised within a hundred mile radius of her home.

In order to guarantee a sufficiently large and diverse haul, Boston Organics, which offers a “Dogma Box” of locally grown produce, has expanded that radius to "as close to Boston as possible," going as far as Canada and northern Maine if needed.  That’s a little far afield for me, but there are some items that just can’t be had within a hundred miles, and I’d much rather have them within 250 miles than delivered from the west coast or Chile.

One of the most compelling reasons to eat local is the increased transparency it allows.  When I pick up my vegetables at Busa Farm in Lexington, or my meat from Hardwick’s Chestnut Farm, I have the opportunity to talk directly with the farmers.  When Dennis Busa’s tomato harvest was down last year, I understood – and could see for myself – that it was because we’d had such a wet season.  And when Kim, the matriarch of Chestnut Farm, lost a number of baby goats to sickness earlier this year, I could see the grief in her face and knew she’d done everything humanely possible to keep them healthy.

This kind of transparency breeds trust and confidence.  Eating local means knowing exactly how a farmer farms, and I expect a high level of sustainability from the grower’s agricultural practices.  While I will buy local produce, like Busa’s lightly pesticided corn, over organically grown veggies from other states or countries, all-around sustainability is part of my definition of local food. 

So, what does “local food” mean to you?  Is it about distance?  Farming methods?  Knowing your food sources?  Something else?  Coming up with your own definition can be tricky, but once you settle on personal guidelines, you’ll be much better able to determine whether what you’re eating is really “local,” or whether you’re being fooled by clever marketing.

Want to know more about eating local?  Check out these articles:
Local vs. Sustainable, SustainableTable.org
Guidelines for Eating Well, Locavores.com
Local food, Wikipedia