Localvores
Anyone else put an emphasis on eating food grown or produced in their city or region.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Karen on -
Well, I support the local farmers by going to the farmers markets, but otherwise, it has been proven that small local farms use MORE energy to produce foods than it takes to ship them here from further away. That was a surprise to me, but only until I thought about it for a while. So, if you are eating locally grown food, just to save the planet, you are doing more harm than good.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Ewing on -
I do not agree, but my main reason is economic, money spent in locally owned businesses circulates longer in the community than money spent in big biox or chain establishments.
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Permalink Reply by Nellie on -
I find it hard to believe that it costs more to eat locally grown food than to buy food that has been shipped for miles. Even if it does cost more, it sure tastes better and fresher. Every country has its own standards for pesticides, etc. I am very lucky to live near St. Lawrence Market and look forward to harvest time every year. The corn, the peaches, pears, cherries, etc. are fantastic. Even the ordinary carrot has a sweet, crunchy taste. The north market is where the local farmers sell their produce, cheeses, eggs, homemade bread and pies. Excellent food.
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Permalink Reply by Karen on
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The June issue of Readers Digest had an article on this called Buy Global and explains very clearly that the distance travelled between producers and consumers, and the mode of transportation used, is not the only determinants of environmental impact. I'm certainly all for supporting local farmer though, and love to go to the farmers markets in my area as often as I can get there (though that alone adds more fossil fuels to the environment than a simple trip to the grocery store, as it's easily 3 times as far).
Nellie said:I find it hard to believe that it costs more to eat locally grown food than to buy food that has been shipped for miles. Even if it does cost more, it sure tastes better and fresher. Every country has its own standards for pesticides, etc. I am very lucky to live near St. Lawrence Market and look forward to harvest time every year. The corn, the peaches, pears, cherries, etc. are fantastic. Even the ordinary carrot has a sweet, crunchy taste. The north market is where the local farmers sell their produce, cheeses, eggs, homemade bread and pies. Excellent food.
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Permalink Reply by Bob Ewing on
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How far did the food on the shelves of the supermarket travel and were they grown organically?
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Permalink Reply by Karen on
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Bob, go find the Readers Digest article. It compares, for instance, locally grown strawberries, and those that come from California. Personally, we prefer locally grown ones, (I can go right to the field and get them myself), but because of climate conditions and other considerations, apparently the Califorinia ones require far less energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions to produce and ship than those grown locally. It was an eye opening article, and very surprising to me, but also very logical once you are made more aware of the other factors involved in fruit and vegetable production.
Bob Ewing said:How far did the food on the shelves of the supermarket travel and were they grown organically?
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Permalink Reply by Karen Dennis on -
I live in E.Ontario. This time of year the farmers markets are loaded with such fresh beautiful food! Personally I find the prices on the high side at the established farmers markets, however, it isn't to difficult to find a booth or table at the end of a farmers lane selling stuff MUCH cheaper. We were heading toward Peterborough from Sharbot Lake via Hwy.7 last holiday Monday and there seemed to be a vendor every 10 km. selling everything from Blueberries to Corn to Baking!
It's a sad state of our agricultural traditions when cheap produce from Florida, California and CHINA (CHINA!!!) are sitting side by side with Ontario goods at double (or more) the price. My cousin who lives in a prime agricultural region of California tells me I would probably do without before I ate produce from her area due to the herbicides, insecticides and filthy water that is sprayed around.
I'll stick to my misshapen, odd sized veggies that taste amazing thanks!
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Permalink Reply by Marilyn Craig on -
Your cousin is right on, You might spend more, but over all your healthier, take it from some one that grew up in California, and now waits to return home to Canada, were cattle are cattle, were you can eat from right from the vine, were quality of life is a treasure, not a number on a computer. Enjoy your county side ...............
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Permalink Reply by Richard Lilley on -
Agreed.
By all means necessary, lets' keep the money in the community.
It breaks my heart to see year after year, beautiful farmland paved over and built upon. Take the rich black soil area (that compares favorably to the Holland Marsh area) in Burlington that used to supply a lot of local produce for instance. It is now called the Mapleview Mall! Try eating pavement!
When our local farmers can't make a living any longer by selling us home grown produce, it makes it a lot easier for developers to move in and buy them out, and there goes another farm lost FOREVER!
If we don't support our local farmers pretty soon we will not even have the option of buying locally, we'll be dependent upon some other country supplying all our food at whatever prices they want to charge. (And of dubious quality).
How will we like that?
The amount of arable land in Canada is minuscule compared to our land mass.
You can't grow food in the Tundra above the treeline, or on geological rock formations.
That tiny strip of land (relatively) that runs along the Canada US border is all we have to grow food on. And we're fast building it out!
We have it all backwards. We should be building all the houses and factories up on the Canadian shield and farming what is now called the GTA!
Let's move Toronto! :-)
Bob Ewing said:I do not agree, but my main reason is economic, money spent in locally owned businesses circulates longer in the community than money spent in big box or chain establishments.
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