Don't Call Me a "Locavore"

In coming weeks I'll write about fun and unusual ingredients, food events, nutrition, chocolate, and much more. This week, though, I wanted to share with you a bit about what I believe, so that readers have a chance to know a bit more about the philosophy behind the column.

A new term, "Locavore," has arisen to describe those of us who eat primarily local foods, dividing people into the "do" and "do nots." It implies that eating fresh, local foods is not something "normal" people do, because there is no name for people who eat things from primarily from commercial farms all over the globe. "Locavore" hints at exclusivity and privilege, instead of conveying that eating locally is traditional and responsible. I am not a "locavore," I am a person who believes that our small local farmers need our support, and that we need their nutritionally valuable products to fight the poor nutrition and obesity that is becoming epidemic in the US.

As a Personal Chef and food advocate, I am happy to see people now thinking about what they eat. More people are choosing to eat local food, incorporating at least some local foods into their weekly groceries. My partner and I patronize local farms and markets, cooking most of our meals from scratch using as many local ingredients as possible. We do this for the health benefit of foods harvested when they're ripe, because we believe our nation's foods security relies on keeping our dollars local and our food supply sustainable, because shipping most of the nation's food across the country is economically and environmentally unsound, and because we want to know animals are treated humanely instead of locked into areas in which they cannot move.

It is my hope that all people, not just those in certain demographics, will begin to have a better understanding of nutrition and economy through eating locally. Eating a diet of foods primarily produced hundreds, or even thousands, of miles away on large factory farms is a fairly new concept. In 1950, the vast majority of people ate mostly what was produced within a very small radius of their home. Rural communities received 50% or more of every food dollar, and farmers received 35%. Today, farmers commonly receive about 9% of each food dollar, and obesity rate has risen over 214%.

I do not want to be in an exclusive, elite group. I look forward to the day when everyone eats fantastic grass-fed burger from Pannill's Gate Farm; tart, sweet Green Zebra tomatoes (that taste like a tomato) from Waterpenny Farm; or a so-spicy-your-eyes-water garlic from Roundabout Farms. I'd like everyone to be able to ask Patti & Scott about their latest calving, Eric and Rachel about the best tomato for slicing, and Meagan when the garlicscapes will be ready. I am privileged to be able to have such food available to me, but it is my hope that someday everyone will be eating flavorful foods from farmers they know, and the only term anyone will need to label us all will be "healthy."