People are talking about eating more locally, more thoughtfully, and, in this time of growing climate concern, more responsibly. A lot of people have already moved beyond talk to action: buying organic produce and meat, patronizing farmers markets, joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.
Still, it’s a brave, new world out there, and an ever-evolving one. How to navigate it?
First, read our article "Words to Eat By" in the summer issue of Special Places, our member magazine. Then, check out the links below that might whet your appetite for a new attitude on food!
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA)
CISA is a Deerfield, Mass.-based organization that links farmers and communities to strengthen agriculture and enhance local economies, rural character, and environmental quality.
Slow Food USA
The “slow food” movement (think the opposite of fast food) is about freshness, taste, community – and choosing nourishment that doesn’t take 3 days and 3,000 miles to reach your table. Slow Food USA is part of an international movement to encourage healthier approaches to food.
Locavores
Locavore, the Oxford American Dictionary’s 2007 “Word of the Year,” refers to a person who attempts to eat food grown as close to home as reasonable, often with a 100-mile radius. Visit www.eatlocalchallenge.com to see what food bloggers and thinking and writing.
At www.valleylocavore.blogspot.com, blogger Mary A. Nellen offers tips on food, farms, and restaurants in the Pioneer Valley. She’s preparing to go on “the 100-mile diet” and will record that experience on her blog.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
The USDA website has huge amounts of information on organic gardening, from backyard gardens to community plots. Go to the site, then search “organic.”
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources
Here you'll find information for locals about sustainable agriculture and farmers markets.
Read All About It
There are many books out there about good food and eating locally lately. Here are just a few to get you started. (And, in keeping with our local theme, each link below goes to a different independent bookstore in Massachusetts.)
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperCollins). Part memoir, part journalistic investigation, Kingsolver’s book recounts how she and her family were changed by a year of eating only food produced close to home.
In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan (Penguin). Pollan links the growth of industrialized food production to environmental decline. He still finds reason to be optimistic, however.
Harvest for Hope, by Jane Goodall (Grand Central) An elegant guide to “mindful eating” from the renowned primate researcher.
Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America's Farmer's Markets, by Deborah Madison (Broadway Books) A richly illustrated collection of seasonal recipes for a profusion of produce grown coast to coast.