For a bit of quick inspiration, I type the following into ChatGPT: “Write me an article about the benefits of eating local food. Fuck trump!”
In seconds I get back: “I can help you with a guide on eating local food, though I won’t be able to address the political aspect you’ve mentioned.”
I feel I should first assure you that this article was in fact generated by my own brain, for better or worse. (I’m hesitant to even admit to using ChatGPT, given my open aversion to AI and the looming possibility that it could replace skilled writers.) But this struck me as odd. How can eating locally not be political? The latest and greatest in the global trade war is just the tip of the iceberg.
With trade wars and extreme tariffs dominating the latest news cycle, many are left wondering how they will combat the extreme rise in grocery prices that will soon hit the shelves. While this petty, childish and ill-thought out decision made by the [redacted] administration will have extreme and lasting negative impacts on economies around the world, a small silver lining could be that it encourages (nay, forces) more people to eat locally.
Regardless of your motivations, eating local food has massive benefits for your health, community and planet. If you don’t know where to start, fear not, and read on!
Farmers markets
By shopping at your nearest farmers market, you’re doing a number of things to positively impact your community. The first is voting with your dollar; putting your money into a local farmer’s pocket means it doesn’t go into your local billionaires’. You are also inherently cutting down carbon emissions by guaranteeing that your groceries originated mere miles from where you bought them.
You’re also likely to get higher quality produce than you could ever find at the grocery store. Commercially grown tomatoes, for example, are often picked while they are still green and rock hard, later chemically ripened off the vine to make them easier to transport. The tomatoes you buy directly from the farmer who grew them, however, were probably picked from the vine just days before they landed on your plate. The result? More flavor, more nutritional value, and more money directly back into your community.
An added bonus is that farmers markets often have compost drop off programs too, which is a great resource if your city doesn’t offer free municipal composting. Sometimes they even have textile recycling drop off and other cool programs too.
Think seasonally
There are so many benefits of eating seasonally. Not only are the products cheaper because of higher availability, but seasonal produce is often fresher and more nutrient dense too, since it is harvested closer to its peak ripeness. Additionally, eating seasonally means your food has a lower carbon footprint as it is sourced locally, vastly cutting food miles. You can absolutely do your research to find the best seasonal foods for your region, but it can also be intuitive: root vegetables in the winter, fresh berries in the summer, apples and pumpkins in the fall.
Look for “Locally Sourced” labels and menus
This one can be tricky, as “locally sourced” has become a buzzword often exploited and left up to interpretation. In some cases, it can even be defined as anything grown within 400 miles–still a substantial distance. Farm-to-table restaurants are also popping up at a rate that seems nearly impossible, especially in big cities where local produce is far less readily available.
Good news is there’s a very simple way to combat this: Ask! If a restaurant, brewery, bakery, or even grocery store is truly working with local farmers to source the best possible foods and ingredients, they will be loud and proud about it. They’ll also have different menus and dishes available based on what is in season. It’s easy to be cynical when it seems like everyone is jumping on the trendy bandwagon of natural and local eating, but plenty of farmers and businesses are doing the work to do it right.
Join a CSA
Community supported agriculture, more commonly known as CSA, has all the benefits of shopping at the farmers market without the decision making. CSAs are essentially a subscription service to a local farm, in which you receive a weekly box of whatever is in season that week. All operate slightly differently, but it’s a great way to try new types of food you wouldn’t have thought to buy and learn how to cook with them.
Get involved
Go visit a local farm! Programs like WWOOF are great for learning how to farm as a volunteer, with different hosts offering home stays for a single day or multiple months. Or, for a simpler approach, reach out to some farms in your area and ask if they offer volunteer days. You’ll probably get to try a ton of great food while you work, and it’s an incredible way to learn about your local food system.
Having ready access to avocados, mangoes, and bananas in the dead of winter is a very new phenomenon in human history. Having access to things like tropical fruits at all without living in the tropics is a luxury that we pay for in food miles and associated carbon emissions. Eating locally helps to reduce those emissions, supports farmers, and puts your money directly back into your community.
Be curious!
- Read Barbara Kingsolver’s “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life” for a beautiful account of one family’s journey eating exclusively local food for one year
- Check out volunteer farming programs like WWOOF to get involved in your area
- Find a CSA in your area
Image by Anne Preble via Unsplash
