Searching for Healthy Foods? Look No Further Than Your Own Backyard!

With obesity and its related diseases at an all-time high, more and more people are realizing that our food chain is in crisis. Large, factory farms and food processing corporations have gauged their profits as more important than our health, our environment, and our right to know how our food is produced.

According to the World Health Organization, we Americans spend $8362 a year per capita, and just under 18% of our GDP, on healthcare alone. Despite our ever-increasing healthcare costs, our rates of obesity are staggering. The CDC estimates 1 in every 3 adults and almost 1 in 5 youth between the ages of 6 and 19 are obese. 

Perhaps this is why natural and local foods are increasingly popular. Due to the suffering and complications of obesity, a new healthy revolution has been building. 

From rural farms to urban dinner plates, from grocery store shelves to farmer’s markets, more people are getting educated about local foods and taking action. If you want to take responsibility for your health, and believe there is a critical link between the quality of the food you consume and the quality of your life, then you can be part of this movement.

Image courtesy of Practicefusion.com

While living in über-suburban, conservative Mason, Ohio, my options to eat locally were severely limited. With no car to drive to Cincinnati, I was limited to what I could bike to—the small farmer’s market in the middle school parking lot. There, I received a limited amount of produce. However delicious it was, I craved more options, more diversity. Moving to Columbus in the fall opened a whole new realm of possibilities to experience the local food scene.

Everywhere I turned, there was a new opportunity to eat locally. I had the most delicious cucumbers and squash from Clintonville Farmers' Market, while North Market in Columbus offered much more, including locally made and grown pastries, honey, vegetables, and salsa. While taking the #2 bus up and down High Street may seem like too much trouble for a couple of vegetables, eating this way is easier than it seems, and has profound impacts on communities, the economy, and the quality of food.
 

A sign at Clintonville Farmers' Market, July 2009
Image courtesy of Clintonville Farmers' Market

Local offerings from the Market at 15th & High
Image courtesy of the Harrison West Society

 









The Agricultural Sustainability Institute at University of California defines a community food system as:

“A collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies – one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place.”

This definition eloquently describes the benefits of the local food movement. Let’s break this definition down and see how eating local can impact the economy, the environment, and social health.

1. THE ECONOMY

In order to effectively sell locally produced food, there must be an easily accessible market for people to access. Farmer’s markets make this easy. From the Ohio State University campus, there are countless places to get local food: my favorites are North Market, Clintonville Farmers’ Market, and the Market at 15th and High, (which is right next to the Wexner Center!) Not only do these places make produce affordable for broke college kids, they stimulate the economy as well.

	West Virginia	Oklahoma	Iowa
# of new farmers' markets	34	21	152
Increase in employment	119 Jobs	113 Jobs	576 Jobs
Increase in gross output	$2.4 Million	$5.9 Million	$59.4 Million
Increase in personal income	$0.7 Million	$2.2 Million	$17.8 Million
Study cited	Hughes, et al. (2008)	Henneberry, et al. (2010)	Otto, et al. (2005)

This table I created looks at a random sample of farmers' markets in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Iowa. The results emphasize the economic benefits of farmers' markets in three states. As you can see, the local foods sold at these markets help to stimulate the economy and create jobs. Hundreds of people can find work at a market, and are able to have this be their major source of income. When you buy produce locally, it helps to keep your money in your community-- since local businesses tend to re-spend their profits locally! Trying to spend in your own backyard injects your money back into our own communities. 

2. THE ENVIRONMENT

Foods that are minimally processed, in season, and locally grown are generally the most climate-friendly. This is mainly due to the fact that it takes less energy to store and transport the goods prior to sale. One study from Iowa State University calculated that it takes 1,494 hours to transport produce from where it was grown to where it was purchased under the large-scale, non-local farming method. However, local farms only take 56 hours to go from farm to plate. 

Homegrown vegetables at North Market
Image courtesy of Chris Graham

The farther food travels, the more fossil fuels are required for transport. The burning of fossil fuels leads to the emission of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. Eating local is a simple, easy, and most importantly, delicious way to cut back on harm done to our environment.
 

3. THE COMMUNITY

A local tomato grower at Findlay Market
Image courtesy of Farmers' Markets Today

Not all of the benefits of purchasing local foods are so tangible. One very important way that farmers' markets impact us is by improving our neighborhoods and communities. Farmers' markets have the potential to turn unpopular areas into vibrant neighborhoods. I have seen this myself at Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati. Over-the-Rhine was crime-ridden and had few public activities. After a massive indoor farmers' market was restored, the area began to rebuild! Now, it's a hub for the arts, music, and food. Selling affordable, local foods in an inviting setting can truly rebuild a community. 

In addition, studies indicate that farmers' markets may also help to:

• Let people obtain more fresh, tasty foods, so they're more likely to eat healthily   
• Help people learn how their food is produced
• Encourage social activities
• 75% of shoppers come in groups
• 42% of shoppers interact with a farmer (only 14% interact with a grocery store worker!)
• Retain local food and cultural traditions
• Create a unique, vibrant sense of community

(All images courtesy of Molly Simeur)  

Seeing Over-the-Rhine before and after its transformation is truly awe-inspiring, and is living proof that eating local can have a profound impact on us all. Why not take some time to explore what's available in our own backyards?

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And now, for some food puns.

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