From field to fork, an average dinner travels 1,500 miles. But your food doesn't have to travel halfway around the planet, burning up fossil fuels along the way. It doesn't need to be grown with pesticides either. You can make a choice to eat locally grown organic food. When you buy from local farmers, your dollars stay within your community and support local farms. When you choose organic, you are investing in healthy food and a clean environment.
5 Ways to Eat Locally & Sustainably
- Shop at your local farmers market or farm stand or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and get weekly deliveries of the season's harvest. Visit LocalHarvest.org for a farm or market near you.
- Grow your own food in your yard or community garden plot. Get connected with other gardeners at www.kitchengardeners.org
- Buy from local grocers and co-ops and support restaurants committed to buying and stocking locally produced organic food.
- Throw a "Locally-Grown Party" and serve all local organic food. Spread the word to friends that local produce is fresher and tastes better because by eating in season, you are eating foods at their peak flavor.
- Challenge yourself to make the best possible choices in the food you buy and eat everyday by taking the Eat Local Challenge.
Featured Community Group
The Kohala CenterHawai’i
The Hawai’i Island School Garden Network, a project of The Kohala Center, helps local schools build gardening programs that involve students in hands-on living laboratories to deepen their understanding of science and nutrition. Another important goal is to increase the production and consumption of local and healthy food by students and entire school communities.
