healthblogs

Make sure your food supply comes from the shortest distance possible.  The more you eat organic food that is locally grown and produced, the less energy and resources are required to feed you.  As a recent article in Wired Magazine reminds us, organic food isn’t just Farmer John.  It’s also the “biggies” in agribusiness that make organic food and then ship it thousands of miles so you can buy it at your local grocery store…as Wired so eloquently states, “Refrigerator trucks belching carbon-dioxide.”

This is one reason why farmer’s markets are the best idea since sliced (whole wheat) bread.  Spending money at farmer’s markets tells the farmer to continue to put their land to good use and keep growing healthy food for the local population.  Food that comes from a nearby farm is going to taste a lot fresher and better than food that has traveled hundreds or thousands of miles.  You can also feel good because you are supporting the local economy. 

Patronizing farmer’s markets and buying local and seasonal food sends a powerful message not only to small, nearby farmers, but also to the entire food manufacturing industry.  You are one person and you have the power.  Every dollar you spend on organic, local, seasonal, fair trade, non-GMO food grown using sustainable practices, communicates to the food producing industry what kind of product is in demand. 

To locate farmer’s markets, food co-ops, restaurants, bakeries, and personal chefs that provide local, sustainable, and organic food, go to eatwellguide.org and enter your zip code for a complete listing by category.   If farmer’s markets or nearby fruit stands don’t exist where you live, read labels carefully at the grocery store to determine where the organic products you purchase have been produced and opt for those that have traveled the shortest distance.  Excerpt from The List: Sixteen Simple Habits for a Smaller You (and a Healthier Planet). Copyright 2008, Kami Gray http://blog.thelistbykamigray.com/