Eat Local, Eat Fresh: Resources to Help You Adopt a Locally Based Diet

Local eating is becoming a way of life for a growing number of people who've discovered the high environmental costs associated with foods shipped to supermarkets over long distances. In the U.S., for example, the average food item traverses 1,500 miles or so to make it to your local grocery store. In the U.K., the stats are even worse: one study found that many produce items travel 5,000 miles to reach food consumers. All those miles require lots of fossil fuel and time, which means those "fresh" fruits and vegetables are not only not that fresh, but helped generate lots of greenhouse gases as well.

A local diet, on the other hand, emphasizes foods grown in your immediate area. That means truly fresh and seasonal foods that aren't accompanied by the waste and emissions that come with typical grocery-store food. So how can you get started on a healthier, more sustainable way of eating? Check out these online resources:

100 Mile Diet: Canadians Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon decided on a challenge one day in 2005: to spend a full year eating only foods grown, raised or produced within 100 miles of their Vancouver, British Columbia, home. Since then, they have begun promoting the idea of local eating with a book: "Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally" (in the U.S.) or "The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating" (in Canada). The 100-Mile-Diet Website features a how-to guide for the beginning locavore, along with an mapping tool to help identify your local "foodshed."

BigBarn: BigBarn helps consumers in the U.K. find food producers that are 15 miles or less from their homes. The site also provides search capabilities for specific food items, in-season recipes and a bi-weekly newsletter about local eating.

Eat Grub: Authors Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry define grub as "healthy, local, sustainable food for all," "food that supports community, justice and sustainability" and "universal." In addition to providing information on their book "Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen," the Grub Website also features ideas for Grub parties, information on seasonal foods and organic brands, hidden recipes and resources for learning more about food justice.

Eat Local Challenge: A blog written by multiple authors across the United Stated, EatLocalChallenge.com explores the daily benefits and challenges of eating locally. Features include an article on "10 Reasons to Eat Local Food," as well an online where visitors can find apparel and gear that advertises their decision to eat locally.

Field to Plate: A food education organization, Field to Plate promotes an approach to food that emphasizes locally grown, seasonal and nutritious food. Field to Plate's programs include education for businesses, forums on nutrition, and a speakers bureau, and a quarterly newsletter about "fields, farms, food and the seasons."

FoodRoutes: Visit the FoodRoutes Website to find information about local eating, fact sheets and tips for food advocates, an email newsletter, lots of links and a clickable U.S. map to help find regional farmers, markets and community-supported agriculture.

PickYourOwn.org: Outside of growing your own food in your backyard, there's no better way to ensure your food is fresh and local than by picking it yourself. This Website features information on pick-your-own farms across the U.S. and in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the U.K. It also offers information on the seasons for different fruits and vegetables, food-related festivals, home canning how-tos, recipes and more.

Polyface, Inc.: Farmer Joel Salatin describes his farm as a "family-owned, multi-generational, pasture-based, beyond-organic, local-market farm." His Website provides background on how Polyface Farm started, resources for other interested in sustainable farming and self-sufficiency, and links to recommended news articles and books.

Slow Food: Slow Food works to preserve food biodiversity, familiarize consumers with local food and producers, promote school gardens, and organize special events to educate people about heirloom foods.

USDA Farmers Market Finder: The Marketing Services Branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a clickable online map of the United States that allows users to find farmers markets around the country.