One of the food movements gaining a lot of momentum is eating locally.
While this may sound intuitive, if you open your cupboard, you will discover most of your food is not grown in B.C.: coffee, olive oil, peanut butter, sugar, rice, oranges, bananas.
While there are many advantages to having a mostly-imported food system (like eating fresh fruit in the winter), there are many effects on our environment, health and food security.
Here are five good reasons to eat locally:
1. It reduces your carbon footprint.
The average meal in North America now travels over 2,500 kilometres to get to our plate.
That translates into a lot of gas and chemicals released in our atmosphere contributing to air pollution, acid rain and climate change.
2. Local food is tasty and more nutritious.
Local produce is harvested when it’s fully ripe and the nutrients and flavours are at their fullest. In fact, many vitamins such as vitamin C begin to deteriorate soon after picking.
Imported produce, on the other hand, is often picked weeks before it’s ripe when its nutrients, taste and texture have not fully developed.
To find out what’s local and in season in the Shuswap, check out www.shuswapfoodaction.ca.
3. It supports your local economy.
When we buy a local food product, the producer receives a higher percentage of our food dollar. This provides a more viable living for farmers and keeps dollars circulating within our community.
4. It protects food for our grandchildren.
We have become dependent on food grown in China, California, Mexico.
What happens as gas prices continue to increase? What happens if there is a natural disaster? We need to protect our farmland and create viable opportunities for future farmers so that we have safe, nutritious food for generations to come.
5. It decreases the risk of food-borne illness.
It’s scary to think that an E. coli outbreak in Germany can affect people all over the world. Knowing where your food is grown is comforting. Furthermore, traveling shorter distances allows less opportunity for contamination.
Summer is the easiest time to eat locally, so give it a try.
Besides local food being available at many of our larger grocery stores, there are farmers’ markets almost every day of the week.
Here’s a list of locations local food is available:
Farmer’s Market behind Centenoka Park Mall, Tuesday and Friday 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Organic Market at Deo Lutheran Church, Wednesday 3 to 5 p.m.
The Blind Bay Market, Thursday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Farmers markets in Sorrento and Hanna & Hanna Orchard’s parking lot, Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.
Scotch Creek farmers’ markets, Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More info can be found at www.bcfarmersmarket.org.
– Serena Caner is a registered dietician who works at Shuswap Lake General Hospital.
