Locavore

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

The 2007 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year is locavore.

"Locavore" is a word first introduced by Jessica Prentice from San Francisco Bay Area on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. "Localvore" is also used.

[silvercamaro]

The 2007 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year is locavore.

"Locavore" is a word first introduced by Jessica Prentice from San Francisco Bay Area on the occasion of World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. "Localvore" is also used.

Were I to become a locavore, I could eat beef. I could vary that by eating barbecued beef.

I love it when do-gooders want to influence the behavior of people everywhere, based on their own, personal geographic provincialism.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

I like the concept, but I don't know if I could give up Chilean Cherries in December.

[marrymeflyfree]

One of my favorite food-related books (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle) is related to this....a lot of it makes sense and it's very sound ecological practice, but few people eat this way exclusively.

I have been doing a lot more 'local foods' eating since reading it. It's pretty easy to buy meat, eggs, and dairy here. I haven't done much local dairy since I'm away a lot, but I have been thinking about signing up for a local milk delivery program once my maternity leave starts. I love getting beef and lamb from the local farms here. The meat from the small organic farms is much healthier, and lacking in most of the e coli/other issues that plague the big processing plants and feed lots. As for the veggies, I am more aware of my purchases now. I still eat the bananas that were grown under poor political and social means and trucked 1000 miles to my grocer...but the local stuff that is in season also catches my eye a lot more now. There is something to be said for eating the things that are popping out of the ground at the same time you are eating it. Some foods just fit the season, and they taste so much better when you eat them when they're supposed to be eaten.

There's a pretty cool website where you can find what stuff is available to you locally. www.localharvest.org A lot of the farms listed there are also CSA's. 'Community Supported Agriculture' setups where you buy a share of the farm at the beginning of the season, and get an equal portion of the harvest when it comes in. That way the small farmers have enough cash flow to keep their operation growing, and you get fresh food right out of the ground.

I'm not radical with stuff as some are, but it makes a ton of sense for many varied reasons - and it makes my cooking yummier and my food a little healthier. So why not? Going to a farm or farmers market for some of my shopping is a bit out of the way, but I'd much rather spend a Saturday afternoon in that setting than in my local retail hell grocery store any day.

[ghostjmf]

MMFF says:
but I have been thinking about signing up for a local milk delivery program once my maternity leave starts

Have we (or just I?) been missin' somethin'?

Congrats on you too!

[MarleysGh0st]

MMFF says:
but I have been thinking about signing up for a local milk delivery program once my maternity leave starts

Have we (or just I?) been missin' somethin'?

I believe MMFF shared that news with us at the same time she started using that particularly significant avatar!

[marrymeflyfree]

Congrats on you too!

Thanks ghost!

[SportsFan68]

I think we're headed back to that -- back to where we eat stuff grown within 100 miles. It may take a century or more, but hey, it took us more than a century to get where we are.

I don't know how much folks around here will miss avocados, cranberries, blueberries, table grapes, bananas, tea, coffee, and much more. I know that it's virtually impossible to grow those things around here. Well, maybe with a greenhouse, maybe not. A local sustainability proponent tried to grow blueberries in a greenhouse and failed.

[Bob Juch]

I think we're headed back to that -- back to where we eat stuff grown within 100 miles. It may take a century or more, but hey, it took us more than a century to get where we are.

I don't know how much folks around here will miss avocados, cranberries, blueberries, table grapes, bananas, tea, coffee, and much more. I know that it's virtually impossible to grow those things around here. Well, maybe with a greenhouse, maybe not. A local sustainability proponent tried to grow blueberries in a greenhouse and failed.

I very much doubt that. A good case can be made that almost all human exploration has been due to the search for foods. Columbus was searching for a shorter route to pepper, for instance.

[SportsFan68]

I very much doubt that. A good case can be made that almost all human exploration has been due to the search for foods. Columbus was searching for a shorter route to pepper, for instance.

OK, cancel the tea and coffee from my list. Those can be processed to the point where even ships plus a llama caravan could make it profitbable. The transortation available in Columbus's day would not get profitable amounts of avocados, blueberries, table grapes, and bananas to Colorado. I think cranberries could make the trip here if they were dried.

I don't know enough about growing table grapes to make that positive assertion either. Surely if they can grow cantaloupes and watermelons over by Rocky Ford, peaches over by Palisade, and wine grapes several places in the state, somebody could grow enough table grapes to turn a profit.

[moonie]

It may not be so feasible to become a locavore around here, but there are plenty of farmer's markets on weekends that offer beautiful food varieties. Best thing, you can talk to the farmer him/herself when buying, so you know how they are growing them.

Also, if you haven't compared grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef, try it! It tastes great, cooks cleaner, and digests better, (at least IMHO).

[SportsFan68]

Also, if you haven't compared grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef, try it! It tastes great, cooks cleaner, and digests better, (at least IMHO).

One of the localvore farmers who grows "designer beef" in this area will talk to you for several minutes ... or hours, or days about the superiority of grass-fed beef. He tried to buttonhole me a while back but turned me loose when I explained that I couldn't remember the last time I bought any beef in a grocery store. We still have elk in the freezer from two years ago, and we now have enough moose in the freezer to last us until next elk season.

[earendel]

I think we're headed back to that -- back to where we eat stuff grown within 100 miles. It may take a century or more, but hey, it took us more than a century to get where we are.

I don't know how much folks around here will miss avocados, cranberries, blueberries, table grapes, bananas, tea, coffee, and much more. I know that it's virtually impossible to grow those things around here. Well, maybe with a greenhouse, maybe not. A local sustainability proponent tried to grow blueberries in a greenhouse and failed.

I very much doubt that. A good case can be made that almost all human exploration has been due to the search for foods. Columbus was searching for a shorter route to pepper, for instance.

I very much doubt it also because of price. elwing and I shop at a local farmers' market and enjoy the "boutique" cheeses and other items available, but they are more expensive than they are in the supermarkets. Plus supplies are limited - the farmers wouldn't be able to produce enough to meet increased demand. And finally, for reasons I can only speculate about, there are no such markets in the poor end of town.

Oh, and one other thing - I'm not giving up guacamole and orange juice, neither of which would be available if I limited myself to foods grown within 100 miles.

[jsuchard]

"The Omnivore's Dilemma", by Michael Pollan

The author got the idea to trace the origins of his meals all the way back to their true origins. For instance: Yes, you got that steak at the supermarket, but where did they get it from? And where did it come from before that? And before that? And where did the cow get its food? And where did that corn/hay/grass come from? Etc.

He traces four meals back to their origins, and reports them from most processed to least processed:
1) McDonald's
2) A meal made from "Organic" foods purchased at specialty shops like Whole Foods
3) An actual organic meal with foods produced by sustainable farming techniques
4) A meal made only with items the author grew himself, foraged for himself, or killed himself

A fascinating read

[kayrharris]

I have this book. People that saw me reading it gave me very strange looks. I had to explain the concept to all of them.

[Ritterskoop]

I skipped the thread because I thought it was about a pharmaceutical.

Been reading some stuff about this recently. It won't work for everyone, but seems to be harmless enough. I like the idea of connecting with local farmers, as the notion of farming has changed so much the past hundred years.

There's a local farmer who delivers fruits and veggies once a week. Organic, I think, though that's not a selling point for me. I keep meaning to try it, to see if it's worth the expense. I guess if it's a way to make us eat more veggies, it's probably worth it.

[marrymeflyfree]

Also, if you haven't compared grass-fed beef to grain-fed beef, try it! It tastes great, cooks cleaner, and digests better, (at least IMHO).

I read something once that said grass fed/'pasture finished' beef has less saturated fat, and almost as much omega 3 fatty acids as fish. Pretty impressive if true!

[marrymeflyfree]

"The Omnivore's Dilemma", by Michael Pollan

A fascinating read

Glad to see you mention this book - it has been on my 'to-read' list for weeks. Thanks for the reminder!

[marrymeflyfree]

I very much doubt it also because of price. elwing and I shop at a local farmers' market and enjoy the "boutique" cheeses and other items available, but they are more expensive than they are in the supermarkets.

The price is what gets most people...it is often more expensive to buy organic or local. Organic certification is expensive, and the farming often requires more labor since the cheap chemicals aren't doing the weeding and pest control.

From what I understand (though I may be understanding it wrongly), shipping costs for the big mega producers are written off due to a measure in the farm bill. So most of the expense of trucking fruits and veggies from California to NY or from wherever to wherever is never seen by the consumer - another reason why we get stuff cheaper from the mass producers, while the small farms growing much of the same produce in our own backyards can barely get by.

[moonie]

One thing I find when you eat truly nutritious food is that you tend to eat it more slowly and enjoy it more (perhaps because it does cost more). I have found (and it just may be my quirky self) that I tend to not feel hungry afterwards. My guess is that when the body has satisfied its nutritional needs, it doesnt crave more food. The contrary may be that when you eat a Big Mac, for example, you feel hungry a half-hour later, even though you just ate 1000 or so calories.

[Bob Juch]

One thing I find when you eat truly nutritious food is that you tend to eat it more slowly and enjoy it more (perhaps because it does cost more). I have found (and it just may be my quirky self) that I tend to not feel hungry afterwards. My guess is that when the body has satisfied its nutritional needs, it doesnt crave more food. The contrary may be that when you eat a Big Mac, for example, you feel hungry a half-hour later, even though you just ate 1000 or so calories.

The only time I ever eat fast food is when I'm driving on a trip. Last weekend I ate a Big Mac and - believe me - I didn't feel hungry again for at least six hours. Urp!

[mrkelley23]

I look at this word and all I can think of is Mexican wrestlers in masks.

Sue me.