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Does It Matter Where Your Food Comes From?
Patrice Powers-Barker, Ohio State University Extension,
Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
There are so many decisions to make about food! Isn’t it
enough to eat healthy food from all five food groups? Even
though the experts on nutrition such as registered
dietitians hope that we make nutrition and healthy
eating a large priority, they also realized that nutrition
is not the only factor when making food choices.
Here are a few questions that most individuals and families
have to make about food on a daily basis: What to eat? Where
to eat? Is it nutritious? Is it affordable? Will my
family eat it? So, is it important to add an addition
question: Where does my food come from?
Not only do we have many personal decisions to make based on
our location, income, health status, family preferences and
personal taste, but it’s also important to remember that
advertisements and marketing of food surround us on a
regular basis.
In addition to all these factors, the theme of this article
is “local” food. Is “local” just another marketing strategy?
Is “local” a way to eat healthy? Is “local” better for you
and our community?
There is no one definition for “local” when talking about
food. “Local” can be defined by geography, or government
boundaries such as state or county lines. It can be defined
as a radius such as 50 miles or 100 miles from producer to
eater. It can be defined by the shopping experience such as
buying directly from the grower like at a farm stand.
Individuals, grocery stores, restaurants and other sites
might have different definitions for local. As a consumer,
you are encouraged to ask questions to learn about
definitions and match those choices up with your values
about food. How does this all fit together and how can it
help you make healthy and enjoyable decisions about the food
you eat?
From a nutrition perspective
Whether your food travels from a different part of the
country or from another country, you are still encouraged to
eat reasonable portions, eat food from all five food groups
and don’t add too much additional sodium. There are many
foods that will never be local to Ohio that are good for you
to eat. The obvious examples are tropical fruits such as
pineapple, mangos and avocados. These are all good for your
health. In addition, there are many, many varieties of
fruits and vegetables that do grow in Ohio. This helps meet
the recommendation of eating a “rainbow” of produce, whether
it is fresh, frozen, dried or canned.
From an environmental perspective
Often when grocery shoppers experience a spike in cost as
the store, it might be a direct result of environmental
challenges in other parts of the country where that food is
being grown. For example, consumers can probably expect an
increase in the cost of eggs due to the bird flu this year.
Ohio does not have the bird flu now and steps are in place
to try to prevent it. For example, at county fairs and the
Ohio State Fair, birds like chickens will not be on display
at any of the fair grounds.
While this might sound like a topic that is only of concern
to those who live in the country and raise and show their
own chickens, anyone who buys eggs will probably notice an
increase on their grocery bill. Buying local is one way that
may help with the food cost.
In a similar way, California is a high producer of fruits
and vegetables for the entire country. Although they have a
warmer and longer growing season compared to northwest Ohio,
we can grow many varieties of fruits and vegetables here. As
California faces a water shortage crisis, states and
communities around the country are considering the
environmental and economic value of growing foods closer to
the consumers.
From an economic perspective
Is local food less expensive? Sometimes. Is local food
more expensive? Sometimes. The best way to stretch the
food dollar when shopping for local foods is buy what is in
season. This is what is currently being harvested or
produced and is in a large supply.
Also, if you are buying the whole food with the intentions
of making your own meals, it is usually less expensive than
buying prepared meals or even pre-prepped items, such as
sliced fruit or vegetables. Local food might be more
expensive if it was grown in a certain way such as following
organic growing practices.
There are additional costs to that way of growing food and
for some people there is additional value in knowing how the
food was raised and grown. One way that local food might be
more expensive (but not always) is at restaurants that
feature local food products. Not surprisingly, these are
restaurants that have chefs, plan the meals, search out
local producers and prepare them with great care. This type
of meal will usually cost more than one from fast food
restaurant that does not operate in the same way.
From a community perspective
In recent times, local food sold directly from the producer,
like at farmers’ markets has once again regained popularity.
In addition to making fresh, healthy food choices, some of
the other advantages of buying at a farmers’ market include
increasing the sense of community and increasing the local
economy. Farmers’ markets are not the only places to seek
out local foods but they offer a sense of community that
differs from larger grocery stores.
“Local” growers and producers might be as close as our state
or our neighboring state of Michigan. They might also be as
close as your neighborhood, whether you live in the country
or the city. Seek out local growers, producers and vendors,
get to know them, and get to know their stories and their
products. I bet you’ll you have some enjoyable and tasty
experiences!
Next month, August 9-15, 2015, we will be celebrating Ohio
Local Foods Week. Next month’s article will invite you to
join in the $10 Local Foods Challenge by choosing to spend
at least $10 on local foods during that week. In the
meantime, for regional information on Ohio Local Foods Week,
the Education and Awareness Task Force of the Northwest Ohio
Food Council is promoting and sharing information about
local foods:
http://www.northwestohiofoodcouncil.com/
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