Many of life’s most important lessons are learned in childhood, often expressed through children’s books whose meanings you won’t fully grasp for years to come. Take The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle: A food filled adventure that describes the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly.
The lesson?
This caterpillar had only its’ legs to get it from one days food to the next, it could not eat where it could not travel. Yet, we humans eat food from places we’ve never been and may never go.
I’m not talking about hopping on a flight to Rome to eat a mouth-watering margherita pizza, I’m talking about those grapes you had for a mid-morning snack that were shipped from Chile. Your grapes have a high environmental cost, not just in the gas you used to get from home to the store and back again, and far more than the lights and coolers in the grocery store to keep your grapes looking perfect. Your grapes had to be shipped by boat or by plane to a U.S. port and then driven to your grocery store. That’s a lot of mileage for snacktime. And, all this without even considering the pesticides and gas used in the production of the grapes and their plastic bag.
Feeling bad about your produce yet?
You don’t have to.
There’s an easy way to feel better about fueling your body by checking out your local farmer’s market! They grow fruits, veggies, grains, etc. just around the corner, and are often employing organic farming methods. This cuts down on chemicals, pollutants, and travel.
Farmer’s markets offer in-season, local goods that will make your family and the planet far healthier so by eating locally you’re helping save the planet, one grape at a time. And your tastebuds will thank you, those local tomatoes? They taste like a whole different product than the grocery store variety, and pack more of a punch in the vitamin department too.
Afraid this might be too much? Don’t know where to go?
You’re out of excuses.
Using the following website I found nine farmer’s markets within five miles of my university…that’s close enough to walk to.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets
So start looking, and join a community of people looking for a more sustainable future. You never know what you’ll find.
Live, laugh, love, learn,
Marley