Think Globally, Eat Locally.

In a world where we can access food and goods from all over the world, right at our local grocery store, rarely do we ever think about where food comes from. In my mind, the orange I'm eating comes from Giant Eagle, but truly it probably comes from a huge farm in Florida, California, or even a different country. It traveled at least 2,000 miles, and was picked at least a week ago, before I bought it from the produce aisle. 

This year my husband and I decided to "get back to our roots" and eat more locally grown produce. It is much more efficient to eat locally grown foods: there is less gas waste from shipping, and food is consumed sooner so there is less wasted due to spoilage. 

We signed up for a Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) share, and we have fresh picked organic produce delivered 1 block from our house each week. It was surprisingly affordable-- $22 a week for more produce than we can go through, and phenomenally fresh... unbelievably phenomenally fresh. Some foods I feel like I am tasting for the first time in my life. Who new a carrot could be so sweet? Or that potato varieties actually have deep flavors? 

Many foods I truly am tasting for the first time. I never would have bought kale, swiss chard or beets in the grocery store, but they have become three of our favorite vegetables from our farm share. It's a bit embarrassing to admit, but at the beginning of this summer I honestly didn't even know what produce could be grown in southwestern PA. Eating locally has definitely been an eye opening (and taste bud opening!) experience.

Our next goal is to look into locally raised meats. These are substantially more expensive than the $1.88/pound meat we've been buying at the grocery store, but quality, health, and ethics tell us we should explore options for buying locally grown meats. By consuming less meat, and by buying larger quantities (with a deep freezer), we hope to find ways to make the change. 

It's refreshing to find ways to challenge our thoughts on how we eat, and what we eat. Changes always happen gradually, but it's important to remember to take them one bite at a time!