Eating Local — Trend or Tradition?

By Allison McGillvray and Karen Seibert

The trend is easy to spot — it’s highlighted in your neighborhood markets. “Buy local.” “We’re sustainable.” “Go green.” Buying foods grown closer to home has become the latest trend in eating. “Locavore” has even made it into the New Oxford American Dictionary, defining the people who choose to only eat food grown or produced within a certain radius — typically within 100 miles. But now more than ever, it’s important to look beyond the trends and consider the deeper implications of choosing local foods.

Many of us are embracing creative ways to live more simply. Connecting with the people who share our space and grow our food is the foundation of transforming the “eat local” movement from a momentary trend into a deeply rooted tradition.

A great way to begin making changes is to start small by choosing one local food to focus on. What is popular in your area? Or, take your family to one of the many farmers markets that spring up at this time of year or go picking at local farms.

When you buy locally produced foods you connect yourself, your family, and your hard-earned money to your community. When you choose a bunch of spinach that’s grown on the farm next door to where your grandmother grew up, or you buy ground beef that was raised on the ranch that you drive past on your way to the mountains, you’re supporting the folks who rely on the same community network that you do. In turn, they can continue to produce food for you and your family.

Consider one of the critical benefits of buying foods grown in your community. According to the Sustainable Business Network of Portland (SBNP), an alliance dedicated to fostering a sustainable local economy, “Locally owned businesses spend more money at other local businesses helping the local economy to grow — creating a ‘multiplier effect.’ Rather than this money ‘leaking out’ through remote corporate headquarters and centralized purchasing departments, local businesses pay more in local and state taxes than outside corporations.” A locally owned independent business (LOIB) returns approximately 80% of each dollar spent back to the community.

There are many wonderful reasons to buy food that is grown close to home, not the least of which is freshness, but why is fresh food better? As with many things related to food and nutrition, there is no simple answer. If we peel back some layers we can look at the qualities local food brings to your plate and see that the impact of buying local food goes way beyond the amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that arrive in that vine-ripened tomato.

One of the greatest accelerators of nutrient loss in produce is the time spent in shipping and storage before these foods reach your dinner table. For example, leafy greens such as spinach may lose up to half of their nutrient value within eight days of harvest. The average conventionally grown fruit or vegetable travels 1,500 miles from farm to plate, while foods grown locally may have only spent 24 hours out of the ground and traveled less than 200 miles. Foods grown closer to home are often fresher and have suffered less nutrient loss, which translates into a more nutritious product.

Local produce has more time to ripen on the plant. Tomatoes allowed to vine-ripen are higher in vitamin C than their conventional counterparts. Fruit and vegetables allowed to mature or ripen naturally generally have a shorter post-harvest life and cannot withstand being shipped the distances required of national markets. Minimizing transportation time means that food can be picked at its peak of freshness and ripeness, thus maximizing flavor, color, and nutrient content.

Farmers who supply nearby markets have more flexibility in choosing crop varieties that would never make it to a distant supermarket. Since their produce does not have to withstand over-handling, extensive travel time, and endless jostling, they are able to choose specific crops for their flavor and nutrient qualities over their sturdiness.
Another perk to eating locally: Studies show that an increased awareness of regional foods leads consumers to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, which has a vast array of health benefits.
Remember to shop seasonally. If you’re looking for tomatoes in February, chances are you’ll pay a premium for a relatively low-quality product. Shop when supplies are highest and prices are lowest. Not only will you pay the best possible price, you’ll enjoy getting fresh, locally grown food at the peak of its season. Another advantage to changing your menu to embrace the seasons is that you’ll eat a broader variety of nutrients than you would if you maintained your standard routine.

There are people who will embrace the idea of eating locally-made foods completely and enthusiastically: they will plant a large vegetable garden, buy a pair of goats and some chickens, and start counting the miles their food has traveled. If you are not quite ready to go “whole hog,” you can start small. For example, choose the apples from Hood River, OR, instead of the ones from New Zealand. Plant some herbs in a pot on your porch. Don’t deprive yourself of non-local foods that bring you joy in your effort to improve your life. Simply holding an awareness of where your food comes from is a step in the right direction. Once the value of locally produced food is in your subconscious, your choices will lean that way, too. Before you know it, this “trend” will be a part of your family’s tradition.

Karen Seibert, MS, is the lead nutritionist at New Seasons Market and has provided nutrition services for this locally owned grocery store for eight years. Seibert teaches nutrition classes and offers nutrition education to many groups in the local community.

Allison McGillivray has been a customer advocate at New Seasons Market for three years. She’s a seventh-generation Oregonian, and has a small garden for fresh produce.