Be a Localvore!

 (happy veggies)

 

(factory farm veggies)

I am a localvore.

A what?!  A localvore is a person who loves to eat locally grown & produced food.  This is important for several reasons:

• HEALTH: food can easily be locally grown without yucky pesticides, preservatives, & processing
• ECONOMY: eating local keeps money local & supports our community farmers
• RESOURCES: natural resources are saved when we our food doesn't travel across the world 
• The average American meal travels an estimated 1500 miles from farm to plate. 
• SAFETY: food is not mass-produced on factory farms & is less likely to cause illness outbreaks
• YUMMY: it is more fresh & tastes delicious!!!

 (happy cows)

 

(factory farm cows)

If food is not produced locally, chances are high that you are buying from factory farms that use lots of pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, and preservatives to mass produce the veggies/fruit/meat/dairy.  Yuck!
 

How do you GET local food, you may wonder?  The Farmer's Market is a wonderful place where local farmers gather to sell their goods.  This takes grocery shopping to a whole new level!  Music, free samples, lots of smiles, and amazing food are everywhere.  From organic cheese and eggs to every kind of vegetable you love (and some you've never heard of!) to fruit, honey, syrup, aromatherapy, yarn, baked goods... you name it, the Farmer's Market has it!

Seacoast Eat Local hosts Farmer's Markets at the Wentworth Greenhouse in Rollinsford, NH on specific winter dates and then every weekend during the summer.  Check out their website for more info on Farmer's Market locations across Strafford, Rockingham, & York counties in NH & ME.

(happy chickens)

 

(factory farm chickens)

Another way to get local food- last summer, I lived in an apartment and was so busy.  There was no way I could grow my own food!  I joined a CSA to solve this problem.  A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is basically paying for a share in a local farm in return for organic produce.  Some CSAs deliver weekly, some monthly.  Some include eggs and meat, some don't.  There are many varieties of CSAs.  I was NEVER short on veggies last summer, and I split my "small share" CSA with three people!  For a list of CSAs in your area, check out the Seacoast Eat Local.

 

Want local soup?  Check out The Soup Guy for some amazingly yummy chili, soups, and breakfast concoctions available at the Farmer's Market!

Want local yogurt?  Stonyfield Farms can be purchased at any grocery store!  These yogurts are made from organic milk produced on local New England farms.  How cool is that?

I hope this has inspired you to eat locally produced, delicious, healthy food from your community farms!

PS  If you are interested in learning more, check out the documentary Food Inc.  AMAZING.