Local Yokes
Thursday, September 2nd, 2010As if tainted beef and the infamous spinach scare of ‘06 wasn’t enough to contend with, now we’ve got a nationwide egg recall in the headlines. All of this raises a couple of big questions: Do you know where your food comes from? And how safe it is?
One objection we often hear about locally grown foods (like those you would find at a farmers market) is that they’re expensive. While it’s true that some of these foods can retail for more than those at discount chains, when you consider the costs that arise from incidents like the egg recall, saving an extra dollar or two on eggs purchased from a factory farm seems irrelevant if you’re exposing yourself to serious health risks. Small, family-run farming operations tend to have better control over the quality of food they produce. By purchasing their goods, you not only get a fresher, tastier product, but most likely, a safer one.
If you’ve never experienced the delight of visiting a local farm or farmers market, now’s the time to get on board. Going Local Week, running September 5-11, encourages everyone to eat one local food at each meal. Whether you’re biting into a juicy local peach or dousing your hamburger with Local Folks Foods ketchup (a favorite at Meghan’s house), incorporating one Indiana-produced food into each meal is a delicious way to celebrate our Hoosier heritage.
And remember, “Made In Indiana” isn’t always a seal of approval. Sustainable goes far beyond the distance food travels to get to your table. Use Going Local Week as an opportunity to get to know something new and interesting from a local food producer.
We can’t think of a better way to enjoy some of the year’s best produce while also helping bolster Indiana’s economy. How’s that for homeland security?
Piece out,
Renee & Meghan
