I hate to do this, but I'm going to go ahead and agree with you all.
Rob - you're absolutely right. Local food can only satisfy a portion of the demand (and certain products in certain regions - like coffee in MN (thanks Kris)). But I'd also point out that, with a few adjustments, many of us can eat a lot more local food year round than we normally consider.
I'm going to go back to what I feel is at the core of my desire to eat local, which is knowing where your food comes from (it's not the only issue, obviously, but it's a biggie for me). In cases where you can't know the person who grows your food, I believe that labels like fair trade and organic become increasingly important signposts - I like Rob's idea of "concentric zones of sustainable food supply" very much.
Kris - good for you, buying local meat! I applaud the changes you're making. You make a geat point about finding good places to get your food from (I try to highlight that kind of thing here as much as possible), and it's very much in line with the concept of knowing the people who produce what you eat.
Tracy - you already know I agree with this point. :-) Awareness is a slippery slope, in the best possible way.
Arlena - I'm not sure what you have in mind, but you can email info@simplegoodandtasty.com if you want to chat.
Alex - Thanks for a great post that gets people thinking and talking.
Wow - thank you all for the comments! I really appreciate hearing from you.
Rob - I agree, it isn't reasonable to think that we could live 100% local (especially in places like MN and VT). For me, that's when I take other certifications into consideration more (like organic, food alliance, fair trade, etc). I know that I'll never get a local banana, but I can look at other responsible practices to pick what I buy. I am intrigued by your idea about concentric circles. That hadn't dawned on me as an option, but I like it. It could turn into a co-op between regions, too.
Kris - I completely agree. Sustainable food is on a spectrum where there are always things you could do better. Whether you're eating Twinkies or organic pears, there is always another step you could take to be more sustainable. The important thing is that you are moving the right direction. I won't give up my coffee either, but I try to buy responsibly grown and locally roasted beans instead of Folger's. MI puts out some great berries, I hope you are enjoying them!
Tracy - Knowledge is power! That's a great point. Just like I said above, it's important that we are moving the right direction on the spectrum and continue to educate ourselves. My college's dining services (run by Bon Apptetit Co. - great for sustainable food on a large scale) is really working hard on a captive audience to create that awareness, and I've seen a positive change come along with it. Hopefully that will carry over to students' adult lives.
Arlena - That would be great! We're open to anything.
Of course, that's not really important to your point, and I seem to recall reading contrary studies. I also enjoy participating (almost exclusively) in the local food system, but part of the reason I am able to easily do so is that I love to cook and willingly devote hours of my free time to selecting, storing and preparing foods. When lettuce doesn't come pre-washed and packed in argon, there's a bit more work to do. I wonder what the implications are for local food in the future sketched out by Michael Pollan in this NYT magazine piece:
I agree that baby steps are necessary for most of us who are just now understanding the impacts of our food choices. As with any other "going green" changes we implement in our lives, these changes have to be easy to understand and somewhat convenient to execute first.
I know that may sound lame but people have to be met where they are.
But as I've learned, the more you know, the more you know...if ya know what I mean! ;) Change and deeper learning happen naturally after that line is crossed. Awareness is an amazing catalyst!
For me, to keep local/organic/sustainable/etc from being overwhelming, it's about remembering that it's all about taking steps, not one giant leap. About 2 years ago I decided that I would not buy any meat at the grocery any more, but I will still eat meat at restaurants even if it (unfortunately) isn't from a local producer. Maybe someday, I'll take that next step and extend my meat eating to 100% local. In the meantime, I feel like my decision is still making a difference.
I agree with you, Rob, that most people (me included!) aren't willing to subsist exclusively on local food. You won't catch me giving up my beloved coffee or certain other items. Blueberries, for example. I just got a share of them from a grower in MI, whom I chose over a grower in NJ. MI isn't local, but it's closer than NJ and it's a step in what I think is the right direction.
Enjoyed your post. Anything we can do to connect more consumers with farmers and food processors (minimal processed food v. highly processed varieties) is a great thing in my mind.
Having said that, local supply can only satisfy so much of current demand, and will be challenged in many parts of the country as the percentage of consumers buying local increases.
With that in mind, I am wondering what your thoughts are on concentric zones of sustainable food supply, with the most perishable, least processed foods emphasizing local, and less perishable items (more processed and potentially prepared foods) coming from outside the region.
Living in Vermont, I can tell you without hesitation that living on just what is grown/raised within say 100 miles is not something most Vermonters will tolerate. At least not yet.
I hate to do this, but I'm
I hate to do this, but I'm going to go ahead and agree with you all.
Rob - you're absolutely right. Local food can only satisfy a portion of the demand (and certain products in certain regions - like coffee in MN (thanks Kris)). But I'd also point out that, with a few adjustments, many of us can eat a lot more local food year round than we normally consider.
I'm going to go back to what I feel is at the core of my desire to eat local, which is knowing where your food comes from (it's not the only issue, obviously, but it's a biggie for me). In cases where you can't know the person who grows your food, I believe that labels like fair trade and organic become increasingly important signposts - I like Rob's idea of "concentric zones of sustainable food supply" very much.
Kris - good for you, buying local meat! I applaud the changes you're making. You make a geat point about finding good places to get your food from (I try to highlight that kind of thing here as much as possible), and it's very much in line with the concept of knowing the people who produce what you eat.
Tracy - you already know I agree with this point. :-) Awareness is a slippery slope, in the best possible way.
Arlena - I'm not sure what you have in mind, but you can email info@simplegoodandtasty.com if you want to chat.
Alex - Thanks for a great post that gets people thinking and talking.
Thanks all,
Lee
Wow - thank you all for the
Wow - thank you all for the comments! I really appreciate hearing from you.
Rob - I agree, it isn't reasonable to think that we could live 100% local (especially in places like MN and VT). For me, that's when I take other certifications into consideration more (like organic, food alliance, fair trade, etc). I know that I'll never get a local banana, but I can look at other responsible practices to pick what I buy. I am intrigued by your idea about concentric circles. That hadn't dawned on me as an option, but I like it. It could turn into a co-op between regions, too.
Kris - I completely agree. Sustainable food is on a spectrum where there are always things you could do better. Whether you're eating Twinkies or organic pears, there is always another step you could take to be more sustainable. The important thing is that you are moving the right direction. I won't give up my coffee either, but I try to buy responsibly grown and locally roasted beans instead of Folger's. MI puts out some great berries, I hope you are enjoying them!
Tracy - Knowledge is power! That's a great point. Just like I said above, it's important that we are moving the right direction on the spectrum and continue to educate ourselves. My college's dining services (run by Bon Apptetit Co. - great for sustainable food on a large scale) is really working hard on a captive audience to create that awareness, and I've seen a positive change come along with it. Hopefully that will carry over to students' adult lives.
Arlena - That would be great! We're open to anything.
When I read "higher levels of
When I read "higher levels of nutrients" I couldn't help but think of this story from yesterday:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/07/organic-food-no-mo...
Of course, that's not really important to your point, and I seem to recall reading contrary studies. I also enjoy participating (almost exclusively) in the local food system, but part of the reason I am able to easily do so is that I love to cook and willingly devote hours of my free time to selecting, storing and preparing foods. When lettuce doesn't come pre-washed and packed in argon, there's a bit more work to do. I wonder what the implications are for local food in the future sketched out by Michael Pollan in this NYT magazine piece:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html
I love this post and all you
I love this post and all you writings.
I would love to do a feature on my series Garden Wise with Arlena with you.
I agree that baby steps are
I agree that baby steps are necessary for most of us who are just now understanding the impacts of our food choices. As with any other "going green" changes we implement in our lives, these changes have to be easy to understand and somewhat convenient to execute first.
I know that may sound lame but people have to be met where they are.
But as I've learned, the more you know, the more you know...if ya know what I mean! ;) Change and deeper learning happen naturally after that line is crossed. Awareness is an amazing catalyst!
For me, to keep
For me, to keep local/organic/sustainable/etc from being overwhelming, it's about remembering that it's all about taking steps, not one giant leap. About 2 years ago I decided that I would not buy any meat at the grocery any more, but I will still eat meat at restaurants even if it (unfortunately) isn't from a local producer. Maybe someday, I'll take that next step and extend my meat eating to 100% local. In the meantime, I feel like my decision is still making a difference.
I agree with you, Rob, that most people (me included!) aren't willing to subsist exclusively on local food. You won't catch me giving up my beloved coffee or certain other items. Blueberries, for example. I just got a share of them from a grower in MI, whom I chose over a grower in NJ. MI isn't local, but it's closer than NJ and it's a step in what I think is the right direction.
Alex & Lee, Enjoyed your
Alex & Lee,
Enjoyed your post. Anything we can do to connect more consumers with farmers and food processors (minimal processed food v. highly processed varieties) is a great thing in my mind.
Having said that, local supply can only satisfy so much of current demand, and will be challenged in many parts of the country as the percentage of consumers buying local increases.
With that in mind, I am wondering what your thoughts are on concentric zones of sustainable food supply, with the most perishable, least processed foods emphasizing local, and less perishable items (more processed and potentially prepared foods) coming from outside the region.
Living in Vermont, I can tell you without hesitation that living on just what is grown/raised within say 100 miles is not something most Vermonters will tolerate. At least not yet.
Thanks again for the great post.
Cheers,
Rob Smart
a.k.a., Jambutter on Twitter
Awesome article and photo,
Awesome article and photo, Ben - you reminded me how much I miss the Seward! Can't wait to see your next article!
Nice work Ben! I hope they
Nice work Ben! I hope they comped you some product for all of the positive PR. Have to try that fresh ham next time I'm up that way.
Thanks Kris and Lisa and Lee!
Thanks Kris and Lisa and Lee! I'm thrilled to be contributing!