Gold & Silver Forum - Shop and Eat Locally

This could be a way to build up a network of local contacts for food sources in your area.

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Shop and Eat Locally

Innumerable books and other media extol the virtues of eating food that's grown and processed near you: it benefits the planet, it benefits the farmers, it tastes better, it's better for you. Read Michael Pollan or Barbara Kingsolver for examples.

But piecing together a local menu isn't as easy as going to the Local aisle of your supermarket. Here are some tips for bringing your meals closer to home.

Start small. Shopping locally goes against the grain (pun intended) of our globalized economy, so it's not the easiest thing to do. Even if you live in a region that's rich in vegetables and meats, chances are you won't have easy access to staples like sugar, salt, oil, and flour. Just focus on what you can get, and keep an eye out for sources and/or substitutes for what you can't.

Personalize. If you want to try the classic 100-mile diet, you can find your personal 100-mile radius at 100milediet.org.

Get a supplier. You can find farms, greenmarkets, and locally oriented stores in your area using web tools offered at Eatwellguide.org and Localharvest.org. If you live in a city, investigate CSA -- Community-Supported Agriculture. Citydwellers pay a fee to subscribe to a farm, and get a share of its output delivered in weekly boxes of joy. Just Food offers a listing for New Yorkers.

Assure authenticity of local supplier. Some so-called farmers markets allow vendors to resell wholesale produce to unsuspecting consumers. The best markets, in contrast, are producer-only markets with rules that prohibit reselling. There are resources on the Web that can help you distinguish real farmers markets from the imposters, such as Truly Local.
If you are unfamiliar with a farmers market, you should ask the vendors or the market manager what rules they follow.

Find support. The web offers plenty of community and support for local eaters. Eat Local Challenge is a group blog with first-person stories, advice, and tips on every aspect of eating locally, as well as plenty of links to local groups, including one near you.

Share the burden; share the wealth. Throw a 100-mile potluck dinner.

Reach out. Most importantly, talk to friends and neighbors, blogmates and the food vendors in your area. Learn about what you eat and what other people eat. Start a blog, form a community, bring people closer.

http://howto.wired.com/wiki/Shop_and_Eat_Locally