NBR - I'm annoyed with the Eat Local movement

itsmevkb

I get the whole idea of eating the freshest, least processed foods possible and yet, I'm getting a little weary of this catch phrase and just the idea in general that somehow eating what is grown close to you is best.  I live in Wisconsin, it's snowing and freezing cold here and thus, nothing is being grown.  If it wasn't for the food grown in California, Florida, Mexico, etc. I wouldn't have access to fresh fruits and vegetables.  Not to mention, isn't exploring world cuisines a wonderful thing?  If we all just ate locally we wouldn't be exposed to the vast variety of food that is out there.

I also shudder to think what my diet would be like if I truly decided to eat only locally grown and made things - cheese, beer and brats would have to top the list.  Yea, that can't be healthy

Okay, that's my rant for the day.

dundasgirl

The idea is partly about cutting down on the shipping/transport/long term storage of food.  I know my DH with refrigeration systems and he told me fruit is stored in carbon dioxide to keep it from ripening/going bad in the winter.

I don't live by it, but I do try to buy local as much as I can.  We go to farmer's markets and buy from a grocery store that buys from local farms...but I live near the Niagara Region so there are tonnes of farms here. 

It's super crazy how long it takes for a green pepper to go bad if you buy it fresh from the farm compared to buying it from the grocery store.  And I do have a problem with buying salmon from China when I live in Canada.

I think it's interesting as a concept but pretty much impossible to go all the way with. 

laura&dan05

dundasgirl:

I don't live by it, but I do try to buy local as much as I can.  We go to farmer's markets and buy from a grocery store that buys from local farms...but I live near the Niagara Region so there are tonnes of farms here. 

It's super crazy how long it takes for a green pepper to go bad if you buy it fresh from the farm compared to buying it from the grocery store.  And I do have a problem with buying salmon from China when I live in Canada.

I think it's interesting as a concept but pretty much impossible to go all the way with. 

I agree with Dundas.  I don't believe it's something that I can do year round but I'm surrounded by farms and markets with locally grown fruit and veggies from summer - late fall and that's where I prefer to shop.  Not only does it support the local farmers but it cost much less for me.  The products also last longer and taste better IMO. 

For the past 2 years I have started freezing corn.  It's a bit time consuming because it has to come off the cobb but it's worth it since I can get the corn from the farm at the end of our street (I can see the corn field from our house) for under $0.05 an ear and it's the BEST tasting corn I've ever had. In the winter months we shop a lot at a local meat market that only carries products made in MI (except for the chicken that comes from Ohio).  So the bread, lunchmeat, cheese, meat, salsa, hummus, potato chips, perogis, and a variety of pasteries that we buy are all made in the metro Detroit area.

I also shop at our local Kroger for a variety of things that aren't local and we eat out at resturants that expose us to all different types of cuisines.

shipoopiisforme

we try to eat local as much as we can, but it is close to impossible to do so in the winter. i love supporting our local farmers and the produce is imo better quality and much less expensive. 

preheatedoven

What? You don't want green and gold cheese at every meal?