What are the pros and cons of eating locally? Pollan states that “for local food chains to succeed, people will have to relearn what it means to eat according to the seasons.” We have become “accustomed to a year-round supply of fresh meats, many of which we forget were once eaten as seasonally as tomatoes or sweet corn…” p. 253
How feasible would it be for you to eat seasonally? This ties in really nicely to D&C 89. Any thoughts?
5 comments:
I think that we need to be prepared to pay a financial price to eat locally, and that is a bit of a con. It also would take some getting used to, as we are a culture who thinks that we should be able to get what we want whenever we want it. The upside is that we are supporting local businesses instead of steam-rolling industries, and we are reducing the need for petroleum and the damage it causes. If it is a farm like Joel's, then we are also treating our bodies better and giving reverence to the natural cycles of the earth.
Eating locally definitely has both pros and cons. Fresh, homegrown fruits and vegetables taste so much better than store-bought and even meat tastes a lot better. And like Blair said, it is a good feeling to know you are supporting local farmers or ranchers instead of huge industries that treat their animals and employees like crap. One of the cons of eating locally is that (especially in cold places like Utah) farming kind of stops over the winter. Most of our fruits and vegetables would have to be canned if we were to stick with what is in season. And although it would take time to get used to only eating certain meats during certain seasons, it is worth it if you are helping local "food chains" to succeed.
I think this is really interesting because, like you point out, Marci, D&C 89 teaches that we are supposed to eat fruits and vegetables in their seasons. I really like the idea of eating locally and all this healthy, sustainable agriculture. I also really like the idea of oreos, though (and other similar foods). I think I could commit to eating locally and supporting local farmers when it comes to produce, meats, dairy, etc., but regardless, I don't think I would ever fully depart from America's industrial food chain. I might try to experiment with this a little bit.
Loren, I loved your comment! When I was typing up my questions for the blog, I was snacking on hot tamales. What a hypocrite I am! I think it goes back to the idea that small shifts and changes are important and are usually more "sustainable" over time. I could definitely support local produce during the spring and summer. There are farmers markets all over Boston and Cambridge. But local meat and dairy would be a lot harder...
Is anybody else singing Ecclesiastes in their head? To everything, turn, turn, turn...I never buy some fruit out of season because it is always gross. Maybe I was spoiled growing up with California's central valley right next to me, but peaches and strawberries just aren't good if they aren't bought from the grower, or at least the farmer's market. However, bacon, Goldfish crackers, and candies of all sorts are delicious all year because of those amazing industrial preservatives. It would be really hard to let that go.
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