- (image from Slow Food USA)
After Earth Day last month, a lot of us are feeling newly motivated to do our part to help the environment. You could plant tomatoes in your backyard, grow herbs in your kitchen, or join a community garden. You could also try “eating local.”
You’ve probably heard about it in the media–organic farming, locally sourced foods, slow food (a global movement linking the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment).
So what are the benefits of eating organic, locally sourced food, and why should you care?
- Heavily processed food is not healthy, neither for the people who consume it nor for the environment.
- Eating local helps the local economy. Buying food grown locally (within a 100-mile radius) keeps $0.80-$0.90 of every dollar in our community.
- Add more variety to your diet while sampling new cuisine. Try creatively prepared local organic foods at restaurants, including Zely and Ritz just a block from my office. (Stay tuned for news about an upcoming Breeze Realty event at Zely and Ritz!)
- The fresher the food, the better it tastes. Lettuce picked fresh this morning for sale at a local farmers market (or grown in your own garden) hasn’t been treated with chemicals to help it survive a long journey across the country or around the world.
- Local farmers love to share what they know. You can learn everything there is to know about where your food comes from, and how to grow some of it in your own backyard, by asking questions at the farmers market.
(Adapted from EatLocalTriangle.org)
Interested in learning more? You can find a bunch of great info about slow and local foods at Slow Food Triangle.
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