Eating locally. From farm, ranch or fishing boat. Buying and eating food only within 100-mile radius is quite an achievement and genius attitude. It’s not a new lifestyle our ancestors and relatives lived this way before us. Buying from local and regional farmers, gardeners, neighbors and growing your own is one way of making sure you are occupying your food supply, while cutting back on “food miles” pollution and high-prices. Canadian’s Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon came up with the idea and wrote, The 100-mile Diet: A year of local eating or (Plenty: One man, one woman and a Raucus Year of Eating Locally) that has grown into a movement.
Locavore movement and farmer’s markets
Keeping in touch with the seasons. The changing global food system is never enough to supply the entire world with food. Whole countries live in poverty and starvation waiting on food shipments from helping nations. Bio-terrorism contamination could be a possibility shipping out of the country. Locally in Georgia, farms offer food subscriptions in the form of co-ops, spawning motivation and innovative food expansion to include a variety of fresh produce and meat, for people with various circumstances.
Recognizing local food markets
Eco-healhty choice. Support responsible land development. If you live in Georgia there are many reasons not to eat a strawberry from California. The cost to get that strawberry across country is astronomical, and the best tasting strawberries are grown or picked-your-own right here, not wrapped in “sterile plastic wrap” franchised product. Why import apples when there is a splendid little apple community known for the flavorful juiciness and crunch. Locavores embrace swapping and selling with others in the local community supported agriculture. There are cooks that make and sell cheese and mills that supply flour. The trade offs’ spices, cooking oils, sweeteners, coffee, you learn to cook with other items, drink tea instead, you could make exceptions, you could trade with someone who lives near a coffee plantation.
Locally vote with your food dollar
"America, and crown they good with brotherhood." Fair trade is fair game. Maybe you just want to go local for a given time to try it on for size, spring to fall, or just a few weeks out of the summer, of for one meal, Thanksgiving. The 100-mile diet has many advantages. All of this helps the local economy and strengthens community. The environmental and health benefits make it worth the effort.
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