Local is the New Organic

If you’ve ever been to Europe you know that the food tasted so much better than it does here and you may have wondered why? Why is the baguette so light and airy in Paris? Why is the yogurt so thick and creamy in Ireland? What is the gnocchi so fluffy in Italy (and at Georgio Baldi?) Generally speaking it’s because Europeans still eat local food, made by local artisans from ingredients grown in the region.

On the flip side, America is a place devoted to convenience, so we have demanded that our markets carry every fruit and vegetable year-round but that does not mean that food tastes good or is good for you or the environment.

Whether to eat local, organic or otherwise is a very complicated and multifaceted issue but, of course, we've tried to put together the simple explanation.

Eating organic food has been the popular health trend because organic food is grown/raised/farmed with out the use of potentially toxic pesticides and fertilizers. Even certain Target and Wal Mart stores have started carrying organic produce--if that's not mainstream, we don't know what is. Organic food is better for your body and also for the environment since it does not use chemicals and pesticides that pollute the water, soil and the air.

Or is it?

Usually to get organic food in season, grocery stores have to ship food in from all over the country and the world. Asparagus from Chile might be delicious in the winter as a break from the dreary potatoes, but what impact does that journey the asparagus took to get to your plate have on the environment? How many miles of trains, planes and automobiles have those spears of asparagus traveled to make it to our local markets? As far as the environment is concerned, eating locally is much better than eating organic if the organic food is not locally grown (most is not). Bottom line is try to eat food that is locally grown and in season and if it's also organic, then your are in luck.

If you are still not convinced on the benefits of local produce, check out these 10 reasons to eat locally.

Now, you may not have even realized your food was being shipped from all around the world or have any idea what food is in season at what time or where to buy local food, but that's what we're here for.

The first place to look for local, fresh produce is your local farmer's market. To look up local farmer’s markets in your area go to http://www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.htm or http://www.localharvest.org/. In L.A., we have at least 2 farmer’s markets a day, so you can always find one when you need it (most other big cities have this, too). If you live in a more rural area then plan ahead for the 1 day a week your town or area does have the farmer’s market.

Just to prepare you....farmer’s market shopping is not express lane, credit card friendly or particularly convenient. You have to get cash and bring a canvas bag and organize yourself to get yourself to the farmer’s market at the designated time. Waaa Waaaa Waaa. The upside is you get delicious produce, cheese, eggs and baked goods at very affordable rates made by actual people (not machines.) Baby lettuce tastes like actual lettuce, not soggy smuchy plastic bag and don’t get us started on how yummy an organic and local apple tastes compared to the waxy and strayed varieties at the grocery store.

Not to mention, farmer's markets are kind of fun. Lydia grew up traipsing around the farmer’ market every week with her mother collecting their families produce for the week. Lydia would admire the bouquets of fresh lavender and the golden jars of local honey and stare longingly at the yeasty mounds of freshly baked bread. So if you’ve never experienced a leisurely walk with a cappuccino around a Sunday morning farmer’s market, you grab your sweetie and get to it. You will feel deliciously European.

Another newer option are the grocery stores that are starting to sell local produce, most notably the eco-conscious grocery mecca known as Whole Foods has started to put signs up over local produce and are investing in local farmers. Of the roughly $1 billion in produce the company sold last year, 16.4% came from local sources, up from 14.9% in 2005.

To find farms, restaurants and grocery stores in you area that feature all local and sustainable ingredients check out The Eat Well Guide.

For more info about the why to eat local, you can read the article My Search for the Perfect Apple: Eating Better than Organic by John Cloud which was featured in Time magazine a few weeks back.

And one last thing....just to be clear...we are not knocking organics. BUT if you can find local produce, that's even better for the environment. And if you can find local AND organic (not hard at many farmer's markets), then even better.

So grab your canvas bag, pick up some fresh produce and bring them home to enjoy. Relax on your apartment's balcony that faces the alleyway behind La Cienega with a sweet, crusty baguette. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine you're on the Seine.

Almost.