Wrap-up

I started writing this blog as part of an assignment for my Environmental science class. I was already quite interested and informed about the buy local movement, but during this assignment I have greatly increased my knowledge. I was glad to be able to share the information and hopefully I swayed at least one or two people to explore the idea and add local products into their lifestyle. I probably won't keep up with this blog anymore, I may add a post or two if I happen to find some new ideas or information that I believe should be shared. I would like to add how much I have enjoyed this semester. This class was by far my favorite of the semester. I enjoyed getting to know my classmates on a much more personally level than I do in most classes. The camping trip was amazing and I will recommend other people to take the class. Thanks to Prof. Heasley for making the atmosphere a relaxed and enjoyable one

Corporate involvement in buying local goods

With many more consumers including myself looking to purchase locally there has been a slow but growing segment of large retailers that has started to take notice of this growing demographic and they have started to make changes. Companies such as Meijer, Wal-Mart, and Chipotle grill among others are adding local goods to their selection. Meijer has a section solely devoted to Michigan made goods. While the section is small now, it makes it easy for people like myself to see the local goods they carry. Wal-Mart has "committed" to buy more local produce when it is in season. I don't go into Wal-Mart often, especially for produce, but when checking it out recently I found no way to identify anything locally grow. This could be because it's currently December and most things are out of season, maybe in the southern part of the country you would have better luck. Chipotle has committed to purchasing "food with integrity". This includes purchasing foods that is good for animals (without antibiotics or addition hormones), people, and he environment. If you haven't been to Chipotle I highly recommend it. One opened on West Main in Kalamazoo around a year ago. It's comparable to Qdoba, but I like the fact that they support the environment more than most corporate chains. Here's a Chipotle commercial that aired during last years Super Bowl. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMfSGt6rHos 

Here are some links to some information about Meijer, Wal-Mart, and Chipotles stance on buying local

http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/fwi/fwi.aspx - Chipotle
http://www.mlive.com/food/index.ssf/2012/02/meijer_adds_49_new_michigan_pr.html - Meijer
http://instoresnow.walmart.com/Food-Center-locally-grown.aspx - Wal-Mart

What are the benefits of becoming a locavore?

Eating local organic foods can benefit yourself, the environment, and the local economy. Many times when you buy locally grown foods they are much more fresh. When it comes to fruits and vegetables this often means that they pack more nutrients than those that have been traveling for a week or more and may have been picked before they were fully ripe. Most of the time they also taste much better than their conventionally grown counterparts. If the produce you buy is organic you obviously don't have to worry about what chemicals they are covered in that may be put into your body.

The environment is benefited in many ways as well. It is estimated that the average American meal travels about 1500 miles before reaching your plate. This causes a lot of unnecessary fossil fuels to be burnt in order to ship it around everywhere. By eating local you greatly cut down on the amount of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions that go into shipping the food we eat. The environment is also benefited if the foods are organically grown. The local ecosystem remains much more healthy without all the pesticides, herbicides, and other deadly chemicals that come with conventional farming being released into the environment.

The local economy also gets a big boost when people buy local foods. Money spent with local farmers, growers, and locally-owned purveyors and restaurants all stays close to home, working to build your local economy instead of being handed over to a corporation in another city or country. Since the food moves through fewer hands, more money tends to get to the people growing it. According to the USDA, off farm costs including marketing, processing, wholesaling, distribution and retailing account for 80 cents of every food dollar spent in the U.S., leaving roughly 20% for the farmers. By buying foods at your local farmers market you can cut out a large part of these unnecessary costs and put more money into the pockets of your local farmer and your community.