Putting The Desire For Local Foods Into Action Can Be Challenging But Rewarding

As I stared at the dichotomy that was my lunch today I could not help but shake my head in amusement. On one plate I had some delicious looking fresh Romaine Lettuce picked a few days ago from Mcleaf Orchards; no more than 10 miles down the road. On the other plate I had a frozen Lean Cuisine sandwich the ingredients of which came from who knows when or where. The lettuce was just about as minimally processed as food comes and the sandwich was processed to the max. The sandwich tasted good, but the salad I made with the fresh romaine tasted even better. Maybe it was because of the crisp, fresh nature of the leaves or maybe it was due to the fact that I know Corey McLeaf and have visited his farm.


The fact is, more and more people are choosing to eat locally grown foods, whether it’s a matter of taste, desire for a better sense of community, or concern for the environment. However, after attending a conference last month that centered on enhancing local and regional food systems, I can assure you that even those at the center of the “local foods movement” don’t eat 100% local 100% of the time. But, some have tried to eat exclusively local foods for a prolonged stretch of time such as Bill McKibben’s attempt that he describes in his book “Deep Economy”. However, it is a goal that is extremely difficult for the average person to achieve.

Old habits are hard to break and, for most of us, the way the current national and global food system works is all we have ever known. We were all brought up in a world where almost any type of food could be obtained any time of the year at one convenient location: the local supermarket. The question of how much of your daily food intake can or should be sourced from local producers is anybody’s guess and it depends heavily on geographic factors. But, you shouldn't feel guilty or that you can’t be part of the movement towards local if you choose to pair that local asparagus with fish that you bought at the supermarket. The point is that every little bit helps.