Natlifestyle.com

Remember when everyone started using the word organic? When it went from something reserved for the faux-hippies and the wealthy, to mainstream, main-street America? (e.g., you can buy organic anywhere, from Costco to your local chain grocery store). The movement that’s going to be mainstream pretty soon is the local movement, with “Locavores” springing up everywhere. As a follow-up to the post on Organic versus Local foods, and as I become more knowledgeable about this stuff from the book: Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food for Life, I wanted to chat more about it.

The local food movement is all about eating foods that come from your regional area to support the local economy and businesses (e.g., family farms), reduce environmental side effects from food that travels far, and of course, enjoy fresher, seasonal and better tasting-food (tomatos that actually taste like…tomatos!)

I’m a big fan of the Local movement. Here are some tips to start integrating this movement into your life. I’m all about small, reasonable changes – so even making one small change will be great.

Visit a farmers’ market. Farmers’ markets keep small farms in business through direct sales.

Choose 5 foods in your house that you can buy locally. This is definitely more reasonable for people that don’t live near Farmers Markets. Rather than trying to source everything locally all at once, try swapping out just 5 local foods. Fruits and vegetables that can be grown throughout the continental U.S. include apples, root vegetables, lettuce, herbs and greens. In most areas, it’s also possible to find meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and cheese—all grown, harvested and produced close to your home.

Find out what restaurants in your area support local farmers. You can do this by asking the restaurants about their ingredients directly. Frequent the businesses that support your farmers.

Ask questions and read labels. Ask your supermarket manager where your meat, produce and dairy is coming from. Also, check the labels to see where your food is coming from. If you can’t get local, the next best thing is to support a family-owned business. For example, if it’s Kraft cheese (corporate conglomerate) versus Cabot cheese (a family-owned farm in Vermont), then go with Cabot.

Buy from local vendors. Can’t find locally grown? How about locally produced? Many areas have locally produced jams, jellies and breads as well as locally roasted coffee and locally created confections. While these businesses may not always use strictly local ingredients in their products, by purchasing them you are supporting the local economy.

For more tips, here’s a great blog about the local movement: http://www.lifebeginsat30.com/jen/

Hi. I’m a busy working gal with a crazy schedule. So I like to make my life outside of work as great and stress-free as possible.  I’m really into learning about easy, super-healthy recipes, staying active, and entertaining — and I want to create a space where I can share what I learn and talk about it with others. Thanks for checking this out!