1. Shop your local farmer’s market every week for fresh, local, organic real food from the land.
2. Put a face on your food. Get to know your farmer and ask if he has a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. If so, sign up! I love my CSA. Each spring, I kindly send them a nominal fee ($250). In return, I get 18 weeks worth of delicious and nutritious locally grown organic food. This is the way to follow! You can’t buy a month’s worth of organic, local, and seasonal groceries at your local grocery store for less than $250 per month. Click here to find a local market in your area.
3. Help your wallet and waistline by growing your own food. For 10 cents worth of seeds, you can grow over a dollar worth of produce. Start with a small pot of herbs or tomatoes. If you’re feeling more adventurous, invest in an Earth Box. Or do it right and have the experts at Teich Garden Systems set up some raised beds for you.
4. Join Slow Food USA. Their motto/mission/philosophy is: “Slow Food is good, clean and fair food. We believe that the food we eat should taste good; that it should be produced in a clean way that does not harm the environment, animal welfare or our health . ; and that food producers are fairly compensated for their work, and that all people have access to this good, clean food.”
5. Eat carefully and be aware of the food you eat. Ask yourself: Where did my food come from? Was this animal treated fairly? Is my food organic or are there hundreds of harmful pesticides sprayed on my food? How many miles did my food travel to get to my plate? If you’re eating a coconut or a pineapple, it could have traveled over 2,000 miles!
6. Be thankful for your food. Take a few minutes when you sit down to eat and enjoy a few deep breaths with your eyes open or closed and connect with your food. Give thanks to the rain, the sun, the earth, and all the hands that made your food possible, from the farmer to the trucker, the produce manager, and the store clerk. Chew slowly and carefully.
7. Try a 30-Day Local Food Challenge. This September I am interested in leading a group in a local eating challenge. Are you interested? Let’s do it! Read more about being a localvore.