Local eating offers personal, community benefits
Food is personal again.
One of the latest diet crazes sweeping the nation has no bans on carbohydrates, meal-replacing protein bars or confusing conversion charts. Just one, simple rule: eat as much food as possible produced within a 100-mile radius.
“Start off small,” said Craig Page, director of Promoting Local Agriculture Cultural Experience, a non-profit organization that promotes accessible local food in Athens. “Try replacing one meal a week with locally produced food or simply replace a food item you regularly buy with local options.”
WHY LOCAL IS BETTER
1. Taste the difference. At a farmers’ market, most local produce has been picked inside of 24 hours.
2. Explore your home. Visiting local farms is a way to be a tourist on your own home turf, with plenty of stops for snacks.
3. Save the world. A study in Iowa found that a regional diet consumed 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country.
4. Give back to the local economy.
A British study tracked how much of the money spent at a local food business stayed in the local economy, and how many times it was reinvested. (www.100milediet.org)
Supporters of the 100 Mile Diet say that eating locally has a multitude of benefits, including better tasting foods, more nutritional foods, a boost to the local economy, less waste of nonrenewable resources like gas and packaging materials and a deeper connection to the community.
“You can always tell the difference between a tomato that’s homegrown,” said Amanda Tedrow, board member of Athens Farmers Market. “It’s a different flavor.”
Several local restaurants use food grown in Athens, including The National, 5 and 10 and White Tiger Gourmet.
One place that takes eating locally to another level is Farm 255, which was founded strictly on the premise of using fresh, local foods.
According to manager Amy Gardner, the menu changes seasonally according to what they can grow locally. From hamburger meat to vegetables, the restaurant supplies its kitchens with food from its own farm, Full Moon Farms, located five miles from the restaurant and open from May to October.
One of the most convenient ways to eat locally is subscribing to www.athens.locallygrown.net, an online farmers’ market where shoppers can view photos and purchase the products they want online between Sunday and Tuesday and pick up their basket of food on Thursday.
For some students the decision to eat locally depends on finances.
“I don’t worry where stuff is coming from, I worry about what’s the cheapest,” said Michelle Harding, a senior from Duluth.
Others think it’s worth the sacrifice.
“It can be expensive, but get creative. I also volunteer at a couple of farms,” said Tim Pierce, a senior from Chamblee. “The biggest reason I eat local is to connect with the people in the community.”
Pierce recommends visiting the P.L.A.C.E. Web site, www.localplace.org, to learn about the sustainable farmers’ market, where students can meet up with producers and start forming contacts with various farmers.
For some, the most lasting change comes with a change in philosophy.
“You should always question your food,” Page said. “It’s about putting a face on your food, get as close to home as possible.”
