IN THE TRENCHES: What exactly does 'local' produce mean?
IN THE TRENCHES: What exactly does 'local' produce mean?
The moon is considered a "local" satellite of the Earth. However, the distance between the two is 238,857 miles. Is that really "local?"
Local weather, local time, local news, local restaurants, local, local, local - what is local? Is it down the street, two blocks over, in a neighboring town, or 238,857 miles away? Is there a specific measured distance for something to be officially deemed "local?"
The dictionary defines the term as confined to a particular location or having the restricted outlook often characteristic of geographical isolation. Other sources say it pertains to a city, town or small district rather than an entire state or country.
When a supermarket advertises a fresh fruit or vegetable item as "locally grown," how do consumers perceive it? The majority usually feel the product was grown within the general vicinity of the store or at least near the town. Yet the word "local" is sometimes used quite flexibly and could suggest one thing while meaning something else.
I browsed through some supermarket produce fliers recently that had items advertised as "local." Upon researching the farms noted in the ads, I learned that they were located at distances of 41, 60, 165 and 218 miles from the stores. So is that really "local?"
Gary Hodge of The Ripe Thing in Crescent Springs, KY, told me, "My idea of local is produce that is grown in the immediate area, within a few miles of the retail outlet, typically in the same or maybe neighboring county. A retailer might advertise local cauliflower, but if it's grown 150 miles away, that's not local. California lettuce is not local in Michigan, although a retailer in Monterey County [CA] might choose to call it locally grown. Tennessee tomatoes grown in the eastern part of the state [the Knoxville area] are not local to retailers across the state in Memphis."
Dan Avakian, owner of Dan's Fresh Produce in Alameda, CA, said, "Local seems to be a catchy word today throughout the industry. I'm not sure yet if it's a trend or a fad. I think it is a trend just like many other trends in our industry. Retailers should jump on it and ride if the consumer is going to buy. Here in the San Francisco Bay area, we are fairly close to many growing regions, and some of them are local legends: Sebastopol apples, Brentwood corn, Half Moon Bay pumpkins, Davenport tomatoes. I carry them all. There are some small one- to three-acre farms right here in the Bay Area and one on the island of Alameda where I reside and my store is located. That most definitely is local. I offer my customers a farm-direct box of in-season locally grown produce from various farms. We are located in Alameda, California, an island in the San Francisco Bay. Most of the items in the box are within 100 miles. When it comes to grapes, they're from Fresno [CA], which is 180 miles away. Well, for table grapes, that's local."
There is a new word to describe this: "locavore" or "localvore." The New Oxford American Dictionary selected locavore as its word of the year for 2007. A locavore or localvore is a person who eats food grown locally within his or her geographical area. This movement has developed over the past five years and is catching on fast as it spreads throughout the globe.
Derrell Kelso, owner of Onions Etc., stated, "Localvores are what they are calling the 100-Mile Diet. Becoming a localvore is a huge deal. It's about the sustainability and sensitivity to the carbon footprint you want to live by. We attended the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, and local is a big deal with chefs."
Pat McGovern of the Upper Valley Localvores in New Hampshire and Vermont further explained, "Upper Valley Localvores are one of about 15 different localvore groups in Vermont and New Hampshire. We in the Upper Valley have organized harvest and winter 100-mile diet challenges since August 2005. We also organize vegetable garden and root cellar tours, wild edibles foraging trips, apple picking and cider-pressing outings, chef demos, and localvore potlucks, as well as e-mailing news of local food and agricultural events, recipes and veggie storage tips. For the purpose of the twice-a-year Localvore Challenge, we Upper Valley Localvores use the 100-mile radius. If I have a choice of veggies from northern Vermont or from my surrounding towns, I'd usually choose the ones grown closest to me. But distance is not the only factor for me personally. My first choice is local and organic."
Let's not forget about all the popular farmers markets (also called green markets) that have multiplied all over the world in recent years. In the United States alone, farmers markets have increased in growth by 18 percent since 2004. This indicates that consumers are seeking more local produce for home-grown freshness and taste. Local farmers can offer both since the product does not have to travel long distances. Additionally, farmers markets are where customers can talk directly with the farmers who grew the product.
Even though the word "local" has some elasticity to the meaning, many agree it is usually within a 100-mile radius. But of course, nothing could be more local than a backyard garden.
(Ron Pelger is the owner of RONPROCON, a consulting firm for the produce industry. He can be reached by phone at 775/853-7056, by e-mail at [email protected], or check his web site at www.power- produce.com.)
Local weather, local time, local news, local restaurants, local, local, local - what is local? Is it down the street, two blocks over, in a neighboring town, or 238,857 miles away? Is there a specific measured distance for something to be officially deemed "local?"
The dictionary defines the term as confined to a particular location or having the restricted outlook often characteristic of geographical isolation. Other sources say it pertains to a city, town or small district rather than an entire state or country.
When a supermarket advertises a fresh fruit or vegetable item as "locally grown," how do consumers perceive it? The majority usually feel the product was grown within the general vicinity of the store or at least near the town. Yet the word "local" is sometimes used quite flexibly and could suggest one thing while meaning something else.
I browsed through some supermarket produce fliers recently that had items advertised as "local." Upon researching the farms noted in the ads, I learned that they were located at distances of 41, 60, 165 and 218 miles from the stores. So is that really "local?"
Gary Hodge of The Ripe Thing in Crescent Springs, KY, told me, "My idea of local is produce that is grown in the immediate area, within a few miles of the retail outlet, typically in the same or maybe neighboring county. A retailer might advertise local cauliflower, but if it's grown 150 miles away, that's not local. California lettuce is not local in Michigan, although a retailer in Monterey County [CA] might choose to call it locally grown. Tennessee tomatoes grown in the eastern part of the state [the Knoxville area] are not local to retailers across the state in Memphis."
Dan Avakian, owner of Dan's Fresh Produce in Alameda, CA, said, "Local seems to be a catchy word today throughout the industry. I'm not sure yet if it's a trend or a fad. I think it is a trend just like many other trends in our industry. Retailers should jump on it and ride if the consumer is going to buy. Here in the San Francisco Bay area, we are fairly close to many growing regions, and some of them are local legends: Sebastopol apples, Brentwood corn, Half Moon Bay pumpkins, Davenport tomatoes. I carry them all. There are some small one- to three-acre farms right here in the Bay Area and one on the island of Alameda where I reside and my store is located. That most definitely is local. I offer my customers a farm-direct box of in-season locally grown produce from various farms. We are located in Alameda, California, an island in the San Francisco Bay. Most of the items in the box are within 100 miles. When it comes to grapes, they're from Fresno [CA], which is 180 miles away. Well, for table grapes, that's local."
There is a new word to describe this: "locavore" or "localvore." The New Oxford American Dictionary selected locavore as its word of the year for 2007. A locavore or localvore is a person who eats food grown locally within his or her geographical area. This movement has developed over the past five years and is catching on fast as it spreads throughout the globe.
Derrell Kelso, owner of Onions Etc., stated, "Localvores are what they are calling the 100-Mile Diet. Becoming a localvore is a huge deal. It's about the sustainability and sensitivity to the carbon footprint you want to live by. We attended the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago, and local is a big deal with chefs."
Pat McGovern of the Upper Valley Localvores in New Hampshire and Vermont further explained, "Upper Valley Localvores are one of about 15 different localvore groups in Vermont and New Hampshire. We in the Upper Valley have organized harvest and winter 100-mile diet challenges since August 2005. We also organize vegetable garden and root cellar tours, wild edibles foraging trips, apple picking and cider-pressing outings, chef demos, and localvore potlucks, as well as e-mailing news of local food and agricultural events, recipes and veggie storage tips. For the purpose of the twice-a-year Localvore Challenge, we Upper Valley Localvores use the 100-mile radius. If I have a choice of veggies from northern Vermont or from my surrounding towns, I'd usually choose the ones grown closest to me. But distance is not the only factor for me personally. My first choice is local and organic."
Let's not forget about all the popular farmers markets (also called green markets) that have multiplied all over the world in recent years. In the United States alone, farmers markets have increased in growth by 18 percent since 2004. This indicates that consumers are seeking more local produce for home-grown freshness and taste. Local farmers can offer both since the product does not have to travel long distances. Additionally, farmers markets are where customers can talk directly with the farmers who grew the product.
Even though the word "local" has some elasticity to the meaning, many agree it is usually within a 100-mile radius. But of course, nothing could be more local than a backyard garden.
(Ron Pelger is the owner of RONPROCON, a consulting firm for the produce industry. He can be reached by phone at 775/853-7056, by e-mail at [email protected], or check his web site at www.power- produce.com.)
