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The Center |
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Local Initiatives Projects...
Farm to SchoolA brief history of school lunch programs involving the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Agriculturer. Food Manufacturers in Northwest OhioA list of companies in our own backyard that produce items you see on your grocer's shelf every week. Northwest Ohio Farmers MarketsThe advantages of buying produce and other goods at farmers markets, a list Northwest Ohio farmers markets, and links to other farmers market resources. AgritourismA discussion of agricultural tourism, its potential as another revenue stream for farmers, and guidance on starting an agritourism venture. Farm to ChefThe Northwest Ohio Fresh Network is a free direct-marketing program for buying and selling local fruits, vegetables, and other locally made products to chefs throughout the food service industry while building long-term business relationships.
Local Initiatives
Locavore. This is a new term given to consumers that promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested within a hundred miles of their home. Anyone who has tasted a warm, fresh-from-the-basket, local strawberry will know it tastes sweet with a touch of the earth in it. Why, because if you check, the farmer who is selling it will tell you they were just picked that morning. These ruby goodies are nothing like the big hollow centered, bland strawberries we see in the grocery store - they were transported over a thousand miles. Buying local means buying seasonal. Nothing can beat a fresh radish. When you buy a radish at the farm, the true flavor is there: spicy, peppery, and creamy. Now bite into one of those bagged orbs and you will just taste hot, and it will have no other flavor; the flavor diminished on the way to the grocer's shelf.
That is what happens with shipped produce. It is not grown for taste; it is grown to stand the trip to the grocery store many miles from the farm field. Beyond quality and flavor, though, locally grown and produced foods are better for the environment. It has to do with a new phrase on the culinary scene: "food miles".
Supporters of local agriculture say reducing the food miles traveled by what we eat will retain more nutrients in the food, help the environment, reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil and create a less centralized food chain, with less risk of widespread disease or terrorism. Nationally, more and more incidents have come up like last year's recall of fresh spinach grown in California with its threat of E. coli contamination. When any of these food incidents happen, it seems like there is a heightened interest in people wanting to know the origin of their food. People want local produce and local fruits. Eating seasonal and purchasing locally keeps the local economy stable, and helps everyone eat better. Take the time to check out a local farmers market or farm stand and taste what Northwest Ohio has to offer.
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Ste 100, Toledo, Ohio 43615-7320
419.534.3710 877.668.3472 (toll-free) 419.531.8412 (fax) © 1995 - 2008 EISC, Inc. |
Slow it Down - by Louise Mikesell-Wireman, CIFT Direct Marketing Specialist, for the Toledo City Paper
Fun Facts: About the Food We Eat - An Agricultural Council of America AG Day Publication
Food Miles: Background and Marketing* - An ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service publication