Interesting article in the Southern on local food. Looks like only a little over .5% of the money spent on food here is spend on food grown locally:
Of the $1.8 billion Southern Illinois residents spend on food each year, $1.7 billion of that is spent on food from far-flung places.”
Of course, it is very hard for us to to grow bananas, kiwis, pineapples, etc. in this region. Plus, it would be very hard to grow enough food locally during the fall, winter and spring (hardly growing season here), to provide a well balanced diet for residents of the area. I remember hearing a couple of months back that there are counties in southeastern Illinois that do not have a supermarket within their borders, meaning they had to drive a significant distance to purchase out of season fruits and vegetables, not to mention raw meat.
Of the $1.8 billion Southern Illinois residents spend on food each year, $1.7 billion of that is spent on food from far-flung places.”
Of course, it is very hard for us to to grow bananas, kiwis, pineapples, etc. in this region. Plus, it would be very hard to grow enough food locally during the fall, winter and spring (hardly growing season here), to provide a well balanced diet for residents of the area. I remember hearing a couple of months back that there are counties in southeastern Illinois that do not have a supermarket within their borders, meaning they had to drive a significant distance to purchase out of season fruits and vegetables, not to mention raw meat.
This makes a good place to boost the local economy. Getting the word out is the first step, and then teaching people how to preserve food. Calculating how much gas and time it takes to get to a distant supermarket on a regular basis, vs an investment in a canner and a trip to stock up on tomatoes, peaches, green beans, corn, etc. There are a number of producers that sell affordable meat in large quantities so a freezer could be stocked as well. We may not be able to grow pineapples, or grow tomatoes in February, but it is feasible to make the majority of your diet local for most of the year
ReplyDeleteBut are people willing to put the effort into doing so? It's much easier to just go to the supermarket and buy a bag of frozen beans than to go to the farmer's market, buy, string and wash them, then freeze them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe when they realize how much tastier and healthier the local food is. Start with trying the local food during the summer. Getting the word out about local food opportunities is the first step. Once they see the incredible quality that is available, perhaps they will realize that convenience is a compromise. And then that convenience, of course, is the undoing of the planet. It's not an overnight turn around, but after 8 years in Carbondale, I don't buy fruit or vegetables (except celery, and the occasional avocado)at the store between May and October. I never buy meat at the store (and I'm not a vegetarian).
ReplyDeletePS. Your catchpas are very difficult