Today we feature a guest column from WorldChanging Chicago ally Sarah Feinstein.
The average bite of food travels 1500 miles before it reaches the dinner table and the average prepared meal in America has ingredients from five foreign countries. This explains why apples are available in April and bananas are on the shelves of nearly every corner store. Although this dramatically increases our food options, locally grown foods offer many advantages and there are many ways in which to take advantage of our local food supply.
Growing foods locally only uses a quarter of the energy that non-local foods require, reducing their impact on climate change. The Chicago region is built on rich farmland that is increasingly being developed and gobbled up by concrete. This means that one of the Chicago region’s richest natural resources is rapidly being depleted as our suburban population extends outward. Buying local foods keeps your food dollars in your community and helps support a local food supply. Even your taste buds will be happier because these fresh foods foods offer superior taste and nutrition.
It's very exciting that eating can help shape the planet. Our food choices give us the ability to influence land use and required transportation, while benefiting our local economies and food supplies. One very effective way to support local farms is a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership and by patronizing neighborhood Farmers’ Markets.
CSA fosters a connection between local farmers and the community -- and reminds us that tomatoes don’t really come from Jewel. Individuals typically purchase annual memberships to a particular farm and receive a share of the crop yield, thereby sharing both the risks and benefits and increasing awareness of regional farming conditions. Most CSA farms provide a nice variety of extremely fresh, organic produce. Check out Family Farmed to find CSA groups in the Chicago region.
Farmers’ markets are another excellent way to take advantage of tasty local produce. A directory on Farm Direct can help you find both CSAs and farmers' markets around Illinois and Chicagoland. If you're interested in trying out a CSA, it's best to sign up early -- these small-scale operations frequently sell out before the growing season is in full swing.
To help proactively identify and safeguard potential farmland, do some searching at the Land Connection, an organization dedicated to making agriculture sustainable. They offer an opportunity to invest in regional farmland that will then be transitioned to organic. This is a proactive way to save valuable farmland from being covered in concrete and protect local food cultivation potential.
For the most local food choices, your yard and window planters offer opportunities to put your green thumb to work. Some neighborhoods may even have community garden space available. Workshops on this and other urban farming options can be found all around the city.
So dig in -- and eat your way to a healthier planet.
