Let’s eat local food!
Add comment April 16th, 2009
This post is by Andrea (Andy) Hazzard, farmer at Hazzard Free Farm Pick-Your-Own CSA; a partner in First Hand Harvest CSA LLC; and the Local Foods Systems Coordinator at the University of Illinois Extension Winnebago County:
So you want to eat local food. Now what? Armed with your trusty resources, you, too, can hunt local food.
First, you’ll need a copy of the Local Foods Directory, an ever burgeoning list of local farmers, ranchers, and beekeepers that sell directly to consumers. And the beauty of one of my favorite websites, Local Harvest, is that it’s driven by ZIP code, so that wherever you go, there it is. It lists farms, CSA’s (community supported agriculture), restaurants, and grocers, as well as sources for local yarn, seeds and even earrings.
Understanding a few terms will also help in your quest to eat more local foods. Direct-market farms are usually open by appointment, and often sell meat and poultry. Some offer their wares already processed and packaged, while others allow you to order or even hand pick your animal for butchering. When we were kids, we would line up on the gate overlooking the cattle yard with my Dad and grandpa, carefully considering which steer looked the tastiest so that it could be sent to Eickman’s in Seward for butchering and fill to overflowing the old deep-freezer in the basement. I’ve eaten steaks all over America and I have to say that my Mom’s creamed chipped beef from one of our steers would beat any stranger’s steak, hands down.
CSA’s are another source of local food. You provide the “seed money” — literally and figuratively — and the farmer grows the food. They’re almost always chemical-free because they have a personal relationship with you and your children or family. This is why some call it “farming with a face.” In exchange for your up-front payment for the season, you typically receive a box chock-full of the freshest and in-season vegetables each week.
Farm stands are great, too, but sometimes they sell more than just what they’ve grown themselves, so if you’re really trying to eat locally, be sure to ask the farmer which things were grown right there on that farm. The same is true of farmers markets: most of the vendors are selling food they grew themselves, but sometimes also buy things from wholesalers. It’s best to ask around the market to see who’s who.
Seasonality or even too much conformity by size, color, and shape can be a tip-off that the vendor didn’t grow those things. Cantaloupe and big red tomatoes in June or even July? It’s likely shipped in. I recommend asking questions. Most vendors have farms, sell off their farms, and are usually happy to have visitors. They’ll be pleased with your interest in them, their farm, and their products. Know your food, know your farmer, and happy hunting!
