Become a Locavore!

OK, OK. I know that I am touting the importance of local eating every chance I get, but I thought I would just remind you all once again. EAT LOCAL!
Eating local is good for so many reasons including:
1. keeping money in your own economy
2. eating food that is fresher (because it hasn't been traveling for days) and therefore more packed with nutrients
3. decreasing your carbon footprint by needing less fossil fuels to get your food from the farm to you.
4. keeping tabs on how your food is grown; if you are eating local you can visit the farms and talk to the farmers. Plus, it is much easier to influence your local growers to keep the ideals of the community in mind
5. eating seasonal will make your try new foods, vary your diet throughout the year, and appreciate what your local environment has to offer.

I know that eating local can be tough; sometimes it is more expensive (because it is not mass-produced) and some of us live in climates where we would starve in the winter if we did not eat food from other regions (unless we are very motivated food preservers!).
But, YOU CAN eat local more! Start reading produce labels and packages. If you have a choice between an apple from Washington or New Zealand, is there really even a question there? I would much prefer the apple that has not traveled across the world to get to me. When you have an option, choose the local one. When the item you want (need!), like coffee, cannot be grown in your region, make sure to choose a sustainable grower that supports it local community, and try to use less of the product to compensate for the long distance it has to travel.
Lastly, encourage your local eateries and favorite restaurants to support local foods. A company can make a much larger impact than an individual, so the more businesses that climb aboard the local train, the better off we will be.
To find a list of products grown in your community, as well as farmers markets, CSAs, and more goodies, check out:
http://www.localharvest.org/ and http://eatwellguide.org