Tired of carrots and cabbage?
Fresh local produce will soon be hitting the farmers markets
and grocery stores. When you buy local,
you’re doing a good thing for many reasons:
1. You’re supporting
neighbours and your local economy instead of anonymous, faraway suppliers.
2. You’re helping
build local food production capacity because the more local food people buy,
the more farmers will produce.
3. You’ll know where
your food comes from, and can have confidence in higher standards of quality
and food safety.
4. You’ll be doing
the environment a favour, because long-distance food has a huge transportation
carbon footprint. One article I’ve read
estimates that one third of trucks on the road today are carrying food. The average item on a typical dinner plate
has traveled more than most people travel on vacation!
So, if you’re getting tired of the limited array of local
veggies available, take heart: local produce is on the horizon, and it’s a good
choice all around!
In the news:
Environment Canada
has announced that Canada’s
warmest winter on record was followed by Canada’s
warmest spring on record.
Check out this interactive Climate Change
Calendar showing by when during 2010 the average Canadian citizen will have
produced as much greenhouse gas as a citizen from another country will produce
during the whole year. As of today, June
30th, our per capita carbon footprint so far this year equals that
of a typical Singaporean for the entire year.
(We passed Burundi
January 5.)
2010 is the UN's International Year of Biodiversity. Mufasa (from the movie "The Lion King") has some good counsel to share.