Sandrine’s Introduction:
Buying locally is something that I value and recommend for so many reasons, one of which is that I like supporting and being a part of the community I live in. The word locavore was added to the dictionary in 2005: lo·ca·vore ˈlōkəˌvôr/ noun 1. a person whose diet consists only or principally of locally grown or produced food. One’s food shed is often described as food grown within a 100 mile radius. There are a few occasions when I do opt to buy items that aren’t produced locally, because sometimes it is economically advantageous to do so. Read my article titled Decisions written about my own quandary. I also do buy some items that simply aren’t produced locally such as salt, tea, coconut oil and the like.
By Author Raine Saunders:
Although Globalization may be the wave of the future, it is not the best choice for health. Here’s why …
Let’s say it’s winter time and you are in the grocery store looking for fresh vegetables and fruits. In many regions, a good variety of produce is not readily available and so the method of bringing in tomatoes or oranges in during the cold months is to ship them from different parts of the world who can grow these plants year-round. Why would this be a problem? One reason is that having to ship all these foods all over the globe uses up more fuel. This drives up the price of petrol and pollutes the environment. Another issue is that in shipping these fruits and vegetables all over the globe, merchants are finding that much produce is perishing more quickly than they are able to turn a profit. In order to make sure their produce does not perish before it makes its arrival in the store, many decide to grow plants in an altered environment where the plant has been modified somehow to survive days of travel and stocking on the grocery store shelf.
In addition to genetically and otherwise modified foods, toxins and pollution from shipment and travel adversely affect the produce being sent. If these toxins and chemicals affect the produce, does it affect your health? Indeed. Eating local produce cuts down on toxins and pollution on fruits and vegetables because the food has traveled less distance to get to your table. That’s a happy thought.
Seasonal Purchasing
The notion of eating fruits and vegetables in season is also becoming more and more understood by local communities. In season varieties allow the local farms to receive your support when you buy, reduces pollution from shipment, and provides the opportunity to try new foods and seasonal recipes that you may have otherwise overlooked. It tastes better too! Buying in season is more sustainable and better for your health as during different times of the year, your body needs different types of foods. Those needs come and go with the season, and thus eating in season makes health sense.
In Idaho, many crops do not grow in the winter time. So the shipping of produce from many other locations is something grocery stores do in order to provide a full menu for their customers. But, many local farmers are now using winter green houses and hot houses. This should reduce the need to ship in from other locations. Unfortunately, the demand of customer’s dictates that we have anything we want anytime we want it. Thus, the stores are shipping in anything and everything all the time.
Alternatives might include adjusting our consumption of certain types of produce during times of the year when they are not locally available. Some people make use of the available produce during peak seasons by canning, or drying, their food. We recommend Fido and Ball caning jars which can be purchased though our Amazon affiliation as well as the titles The Complete Book of Home Preserving, and The Natural Canning Resource Book, both of which can also be purchased through our Amazon affiliation. Two great dehydrators that we recommend are KegWorks Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator or the TSM Products Stainless Steel Food Dehydrator, both of which can be purchased through our Amazon affiliation. Although these activities take a little more time and effort, you are conserving in many ways by making use of the available produce when it is fresh and preserving it safely for later use. Another alternative is to buy at your local farmers market. Growers from nearby farms can bring their seasonal produce to your local community. For a list of farmers markets in your hometown visit Local Harvest to locate farmers markets and organic and local products in your neighborhood.
Products that aren’t local
Even though buying local is important, there are other healthy products that may not be produced in your local area that may be of interest. Some examples include traditional fats such as coconut oil, ghee, and olive oil.
For coconut oil, consider these brands we recommend through our Amazon affiliation: Artisana Raw Coconut Oil, Garden of Life Extra Virgin Organic Coconut Oil, or Barlean’s Organic Oils Extra Virgin Coconut Oil .
For ghee, consider these brands we recommend: Pure Indian Foods, Purity Farms, or Ancient Organics.
For olive oil, consider these brands we recommend: Bariani Olive Oil Company, Bragg’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or Kevala Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Nourishing Ourselves 
2 Responses to Why Buy Local?
We buy a lot of our food local, but purchase items like olive oil, avocados, butter, some meat like cheese, bacon and salami, and most produce in the winter and spring months from the health food store.
Foods we buy local include eggs, raw milk, ground beef, steaks, roasts, organ meats, poultry, sausage, and produce during the late spring, summer, and fall months such as potatoes, turnips, beets, lettuce, watermelon, carrots, onions, apples, berries, celery, bell peppers, and greens like chard, kale, local organic spring mix greens, and others.
If ghee isn’t locally accessible in one’s area (and even if it is for that matter), I would recommend making it at home from butter. It is quite easy and economical.