Attack of the Locavores

Last Friday at the Frisco marina, under a gorgeous blue sky, I sat at a locally owned restaurant, listening to great local live music, and marveling at our unique community. It was a perfect end to a Summit summer day, which started with one of my favorite summertime activities—the farmer’s market. I like going to farmer’s markets not only for the local fresh produce and homemade goodies, but also because they are great places to see community-building in action. It is the natural habitat of the “locavore,” a person who strives to eat food grown or produced locally or regionally, and a species which, although recently rediscovered, has been encouraging local food connections for centuries.
These days, environmental sustainability and resource conservation are the most commonly cited reasons to support local food producers. And while buying food locally does a lot to reduce our ecological footprint and conserve non-renewable resources, there are many other reasons why buying locally or regionally is a great option.
Local food production helps strengthen regional economies and protects local jobs, small farms, and independent business owners. The local food movement has seen a resurgence in the past few years, and we here in Summit are beneficiaries—our local farmer’s markets join more than 2,000 others that have started up since the mid-1990’s. Although Summit County will never be known as the breadbasket of Colorado, the vendors represent many local and regional food and craft producers, artists, and great organizations (did I mention we have our very own booth offering all things eco and chic?) A trip to the farmer’s market is not only a family-friendly way to get some shopping done, it’s also a great way to meet some of our (lower altitude) neighbors, and connect with more Summit community members.
Another good example of a locavore-friendly effort is community-supported agriculture (CSA), long popular in Europe and other parts of the US, and now a burgeoning movement in Colorado. CSA’s take on many forms, but generally, they allow consumers to purchase advance shares in a local farm’s annual production, and either pick up their shares or have them delivered. It encourages people to become active participants in the production of the food that they eat, share in the risks and rewards of the growing conditions, develop a more personal relationship with the farmers who grow their food, and learn more about local seasonal crops.
Here in Summit County, it can be a bit of a challenge to buy locally all year-round, but as many locavores will attest, buying local or regional food doesn’t mean giving up food grown in more distant regions, but rather favoring local foods when available. And while it may seem that buying locally cuts back on your cooking options, many people find that learning more about what grows regionally during different seasons often represents more variety, not less, as they discover new local varieties and taste the delicacies that nearby farmers can grow without the worry of the supermarket-driven market. And, conveniently enough, there are many books and websites that offer local, seasonal recipes for every time of year!
Another great side effect of locavorious habits, and one that many of us who didn’t grow up with fresh produce might not realize, is that food tastes better when grown locally. Locally grown fresh food is consumed almost immediately after harvest, so in most cases, it is fresher and riper when bought from a local farmer’s market, just as it would be from a home garden. Plus, buying fresh food reduces or eliminates the need for chemical preservatives to extend shelf-life.
Most supermarket produce in the US is picked by an unknown farmer 4 to 7 days before it hits the veggie bins, and is shipped for an average of 1500 miles before being sold. And this is only the produce that is grown in the country, not taking into consideration how long it takes for produce grown in other parts of the world to hit our mouths! The environmental, economic, and community implications of this large-scale, agribusiness-oriented food system will have long term effects here in the high country. By becoming better locavores and buying our food from local producers whenever possible, we become a stronger community by helping preserve the planet’s resources, becoming more in tune with our Colorado seasons, and supporting local business owners. I’ll see you at the farmer’s market!