Local Food: Friend or Foe?

There's a lot of talk around local food lately. In fact, it's the new foodie buzz word. Organic, sure sure - we've been there. But now, now, we're going local.

the community garden at U of Vic.

I'm the first to admit that I tend to subscribe to this paradigm. Local allows me to actually investigate (relatively easily) how my food is being produced, by whom, and where. I just jump on the next bus out to Saanich or Metchosin (or, in a generous friend's front seat of his or her car) and cruise out to the farm. I talk to the farmers. I see the fields and the grazing pastures, I peruse the fresh produce, and touch the animals. Okay, I probably don't touch the animals - but I'd like to! My point is, I can with moderate effort, figure out if this food is something I want to not only take into my own body, but the people I love most in this world and the planet as well. 

Local however, isn't all sun and roses. We assume that because something is local that it's happy food - there's no chemical inputs, everyone is treated fairly, the animals are healthy and loved... Local does not = ethical. So, before you jump on the local bandwagon, think about a few things that will not only illuminate a few of the issues within "localism" but also clarify how personal local is to each and every one of us:

What does local mean to you? Is it within your geographical region? Do you think the 50 mile diet is fair? The province (or state)?  Your nation? Continent? The most local food system you can find is in your own back yard, but most of us can't grow enough food to feed ourselves entirely this way - from here it's up to you to select what local means to you.

fresh cherries in a yard in the Okanagan.

What do you hope to accomplish by going local? In essence, why do you want to buy locally?  Is it because you are trying to avoid excess "food miles" and the social, economic, environmental, and ultimately political implications of mass produced foreign food? Is seasonality in your repertoire?  Or do you simply want to get to increase your sense of community through the people who raise the chickens that lay your eggs for you? Are you concerned about pesiticides and other chemical inputs that often accompany mass produced produce? In that, is organic one of your concerns? Do you want to ensure the workers who are picking and slaughtering your food are treated like basic human beings? How about how the animals are treated?

How will you go about acquiring local food? Here on the island, we're very blessed with a year round supply of happy food. However, I believe if you're willing to put forth a little extra effort you can find year round food anywhere. Except maybe in Antarctica. (Do I hear a project coming on??)... You can google local farms (both urban and rural), farmer's markets, pocket markets, small scale local grocers, CSA (community supported agriculture) food box programs, take part in a local dairy share, buy your meat from local butchers and dine in restaurants that promote and sell happy meat and produce, arrange a food growing exchange with others in your neighborhood where you can potluck what you grow once a month - which may mean trying to grow a few things yourself - herbs, a tomato plant, a potato plant, radishes and lettuce all take up very little room and are very easy to grow.  These are just a few ideas in a universe of ideas - you just gotta be a little creative!

my garden plan.

Of course, such sourcing does mean you may not be able to accomplish all your grocery shopping in one-stop-shop style. Are you willing to spend a few extra minutes each week to do this? It's not the fastest style of eating, but we need to SLOW the ef down anyway. If we don't have time to eat properly (with joy and nourishment), then there is definitely something wrong with our lives. I'm often asked by friends, "how do you find the time to cook dinner every night?" The answer is simple: 

I. Make. Time. It's that important to me - like showering and sleeping and wine. It's just non-negotiable for me. However, you also have to allow yourself a little wiggle room and if you buy that corporate produced head of lettuce and some mass grown eggs once in a while, because let's face it - sometimes we're bloody tired - don't beat yourself up over it. Make the exception, and move on.

panzanella salad with BBQ'd Spot Prawns

Food is a highly personal habit. It reflects your values, your relationships (with yourself, those you know and those you don't, the planet, and animals), and your tastes. For me, local means inquiring about my food, the conditions it was produced in, and the effects of said conditions. It means eating ethically in a sense that does the least amount of damage to the people who produced my food, who picked or slaughtered it, those whom I feed (including myself), the planet, and the animals I eat. I know, it seems like a lot - but taken in baby steps (or a checklist!), I've found a handful of reliable, helpful, and amazing sources from which to attain my food.

Just quickly, while we're on the subject, let's go beyond the considerations of buying local. Keep in mind access and money are significant factors in going local - not everyone has them. Thus, we must look at how "Going local" can also mean engaging with the food system on a level that moves beyond your purchasing power. What else are you doing to change the system besides buying food? Are you volunteering at a local farm or soup kitchen? Growing your own food? Writing a blog? Doing art for others to see and be inspired by?  Guerrilla gardening? Again, the possibilities are endless. Don't let your dollars define who you are - while it's important to support local producers, it's also important to support your true self: you are not your money. You are a supreme and amazing and powerful individual (and collective!) - what can you do?

Now, with all that said, watch the following video. Even us high and mighty locavores gotta be able to laugh at ourselves, right?