Introduction to Local Food Culture

Why should I eat local?
Local food is fast becoming the trend for many in our nation.  People have begun asking questions of our current food system and the answers they are receiving are shocking.  The current state of our existing food system is in need of an overhaul.   The inevitable rise in oil prices directly correlates to food prices and the price of food has risen inconceivably.  As oil dwindles, a food emergency will ensue.  Fortunately, an easy option exists right now.  A drastic move away from the industrialized food culture, towards a renewed local food culture bolstered by community spirit and pride in knowing who your small town farmer is.  It is easier than you think.

The easiest way to go local is to plant it yourself.  At the heart of everyone there is a farmer.  Generations of people relied on growing their own until recently.  We were all grown from soil and the cycle of the seasons.  Our ancestors grew life with the dirt and foraged for the future!  It is our duty to continue this way of life.  We can easily revive this somewhat lost art by just taking some seeds and planting them in dirt.  We could all claim our birthright in this way. 

The next easiest way to eat local is to find a farmer's market near you.  Markets are popping up everywhere and older ones are growing bigger and more diverse.  The market vendors are usually the same people who grow the food they are selling.  These people have a connection with the food they grow.  The farmers who sell at market are generally smaller in size and tend to use organic methods even if they are not certified.  Also, despite popular belief it tends to be cheaper too. 

In the race to 'feed the world' a lot has been compromised and it all seems to be culminating at this point in time all at once.  Who was it that decided gigantic monoculture crops would be the best candidates to accomplish this task?  We can feed everyone in this world with a diverse agriculture that doesn't deny the basic rights of people.  Food is the right of all humankind.  It is our responsibility to take back that right.  We all need to get back to basics and reeducate our culture in agriculture.