Locavores: Is There a Middle Ground?

I am a big supporter of eating locally...which is essentially the premise of the term locavore. But is it practical, and even desirable to eat locally all of the time?

I had this conversation with my friend Lisa King (@happyfuntime on Twitter) last night. She is admirably committed to eating her produce and dairy from local farms. Once a week, she drives with friends to farms an hour away to pick up CSA goods and milk. That is one way, folks...how many of you are committed enough to drive 2 hours each week to pick up only part of what you need to eat for the week? Lisa is really amazing...and it makes me feel like maybe I am not doing enough.

So, we talked about the difficulty with winter and the fact that essentially, a CSA will only have produce during the growing season. What then? And what about other fruits and vegetables that just will not grow in your area...In Portland, we can not grow tropical fruits...no citrus, no mangoes, no bananas...should I go the rest of my life with no BANANAS??

I think not.

We need to have balance...we have an amazing opportunity to share in the bounty of all that our country grows. Why should we refuse that? Maybe the issue is not solely about eating what is locally available. Maybe it is about finding a sustainable fuel source that has a reduced (I would prefer zero) impact on the environment.

I think there is a way for us to be balanced in our approach to eating locally. I know Lisa does too. We can start by doing our best to eat what is closest and freshest...Yes, it is worth getting to know the farmers that produce your food...and it can be really fun! But, as foodies, we should also be pushing for sustainable food transporting methods. We can make a difference and have our banana cake, too!

Comments

[FoodieTots]

Was just thinking about this yesterday, when I had to take the toddler to buy oranges for a school project (they're learning about the food pyramid!) and realized it would be sad to grow up with no citrus, for all of us who don't live in Cali or Florida. I just try to buy organic when not local, and US over South Africa....

[MA]

Kingsolver addresses the winter fruit/food dilemma in Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. You freeze and dry and preserve produce and fruit to carry over.

[Lisa]

This is a dilemma to be sure. I try to be moderate on the issue, but maybe more hardcore than others. I buy all of our meat, milk and eggs from local sources, and the bulk of our produce. Our CSA goes for 10 months of the year so that leaves 2 months of no CSA and I can usually get some local produce at our natural foods store. I freeze, dry and can lots of fruits so that we don't have to worry about finding so much fresh. Apples are available locally for much of the winter and some types store beautifully if you buy a lot at once and keep them in a basement, garage or food cellar. We don't eat much citrus at all and rarely buy bananas anymore. We don't actually miss them that much, because we have shifted our food dynamic to a seasonal eating pattern. I do buy non-local fruits on occasion and it is a treat when I do it now. They are savored and not wasted. I have recently been contemplating buying fresh lemons or bottled juice. I like using the freshest ingredients, but I wonder if buying bottled organic lemon juice isn't more sustainable. I also buy non-local cheeses and grains.

Just think if everyone purchased a greater percentage and made a better effort than they are now, how much would be achieved even if nobody ever got to 100% local!

[Gudrun of Kitchen Gadget Girl]

I use a concentric circle approach, which I learned from Jesse Cool, of CoolEatz in Menlo Park. She tries to buy as much local as she can, and then moves out in concentric circles, trying to source food as close as she can to home, but not stressing about it too much.

This approach has worked for us - fortunately, in California, we can get fresh and wonderful produce pretty much 12 months of the year. But I am eating things in season, and consider Oregon and Washington to be far.

I think you do what you can, make thoughtful and mindful decisions about your food, and make it work!

[Brandie]

I agree that buying local is best, and I try to buy as much local product as possible. If we had never had bananas it might have been a lot easier. ;)

[Cathy at Wives with Knives]

I agree with you that balance is the key issue. We are so fortunate here in the Pacific Northwest to have so much available in our farmer's markets. And several do go almost year around. Many fruits and veggies freeze well and we do have several local dairies. I think many grocery stores are paying more attention to where they buy their food and we, as customers, can pressure them to buy from sources closer to home.