Are you a "Locavore"?

People who value local as their primary food criterion are sometimes referred to as locavores. The term "locavore" was coined by Jessica Prentice from the San Francisco Bay Area for World Environment Day 2005 to describe and promote the practice of eating a diet consisting of food harvested from within an area most commonly bound by a 100 mile radius. With such excitement and momentum building in the local food movement, the New Oxford American Dictionary chose locavore as its word of the year in 2007.

With the explosion of interest in local food, consumers now have more choices of products, labels, and ways to shop, so, many people are left wondering where to start. Food choices can be overwhelming, and changing where and how we shop can be stressful. On the other hand, the benefits of buying local can be great. This next section is designed to help consumers learn what's happening in the local movement, and to better understand the concept of local food.

What exactly is local food?
Talk of local food is everywhere. But what does it mean? How local is local? Local is shorthand for an idea that doesn't have a firm definition. Unlike organic standards, which entail specific legal definitions, inspection processes, and labels, local means different things to different people, depending on where they live, how long their growing season is, and what products they are looking for.

Practically speaking, local food production can be thought of in concentric circles that start with growing food at home. The next ring out might be food grown in our immediate community - then state, region, and country. For some parts of the year or for some products that thrive in the local climate, it may be possible to buy closer to home. At other times, or for less common products, an expanded reach may be required.

One easy way to start buying local is to choose one product to focus on. Vegetables are often a good place to start. Our vegetables at the Salem NH Farmers Market will start being offered in June, starting with the Strawberry season. Produce also offers a good introduction to eating seasonally—an excellent way to learn about local agriculture. Then, try seeking out sources for local meat or dairy. Buying local supports a more sustainable food system because true sustainability goes beyond the methods used in food production to include every step that brings food from farm to plate.

Local vs. sustainable
Sustainable Argiculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities. Sustainability includes buying food as locally as possible. Buying local food does not guarantee that it is sustainably produced.Pesticiles, chemical fertilizers, Factory Farming, Hormone , and non-therapeutic use of antibiotics can all be involved in local food production, so it's important to make sure that the local food you buy is from farmers or gardeners using sustainable methods. Our farms in the late spring and summer at the SFM do use sustainable methods. Salem Farmers Market offers you the reassurance of sustainable methods as we bring the actual producer to the market so you know who grew or prepared the product giving you the ability to ask questions about the product. 

We hope the Salem Farmers Market has created an interest in buying local making you a “locavores”. Please visit the Salem Farmers Market on Sunday April 21 from 10-2 pm Hosted by Lake Street Garden Center. You will love the taste and how the products make you feel!

See you at the Market!

For More information visit our website at www.salemnhfarmersmarket.com

Jane Lang, Volunteer Market Manager