Locavore Update How to Measure a Food’s Eco-Friendliness


Sales of locally grown foods are ex- pected to reach $7 billion this year, up from $4 billion in 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. One driver is the well-publicized aver- age 1,500 miles it took for 28 fruits and vegetables to reach the Upper Midwest by truck in a 2001-2003 study by Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. “The average distance we calcu-


lated was often cited incorrectly as the average distance food traveled in the United States,” explains Rich Pirog, who led the research. “Local food re- ally isn’t about mileage or distance. It’s about the relationships that are built in the food chain. It’s about farmers and local communities getting a higher percentage of the food dollar.” Local food sourcing builds com-


munity, poses a smaller risk for food- borne contaminants and tastes better, especially when it’s organic. It doesn’t require the refrigeration needed for long-distance hauling and often comes without wasteful packaging. A Carnegie Mellon University


study further calculated that transporta- tion now accounts for 11 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions associ- ated with fruits and vegetables and only 1 percent for red meat, while how the food is produced contributes 83 percent; so it’s good to be familiar with local providers. The researchers also reported that switching from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs or a vegetable-based diet one day a week yields at least the equivalent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of buying all locally sourced food.


Primary source: emagazine.com


inspiration


physically getting away. Staycations—vacations taken close to home—can save on the money, time and stress of travel, and also provide a fresh outlook on your home turf. Here are a few tips to help plan your dream staycation.


SIMPLE STAYCATIONS G


by April Thompson


etting away from it all doesn’t have to mean


Some of the greatest vacations start and stay at home.


AirBnB.com, or seek out a local home swap with a fellow staycationer via HomeExchange.com.


Check out. A vacation is a respite from dailiness—even if you simply declare a special day off at home—so exercise the discipline to stay away from your office, housework and the rest of your routine. Plan for a staycation as you would an away vacation: Take care of any bills or chores that can’t wait and put an appropriate message on your voicemail and email. Allow an hour each morning to check email and other messages if necessary, but then make family members accountable to one another; anyone who violates the “no smart phone use after 10 a.m.” rule has to treat the others to ice cream.


Set a budget. Calculate how much you saved on airfare, hotel and other travel- ing incidentals, and then give yourself half of that amount to spend, guilt- free, on spa splurges, catered lunches or concert tickets; after all, you know you’re still saving money.


Run away from home. Shake up at- home routines by booking affordable or free local lodging via community travel websites like CouchSurfing.com or


Order the usual. How do you like to un- wind and recharge? Model your stayca- tion after the best vacation you ever took. If learning rejuvenates you, take a crash course in pasta making from a local culinary school, or enroll in a summer camp to pick up skills in a new sport. For outdoorsy types, scout out a nearby county park to camp in and learn about native flora and fauna. If you’d rather just hang out and be lazy, hide the alarm clock, perhaps enjoy a movie marathon and order three squares of takeout.


Introduce some surprise. Open a map of your city or county, close your eyes and pick a point. Google the spot you landed on to see what interesting places are nearby. Or, expand your horizons by exploring a neighborhood or nearby town you’ve never visited.


Look through another lens. Challenge yourself to see your world of familiar places anew by going on a photo safari in your own neighborhood, taking photos of local characters, landmarks and never-before-noticed details. Give a prize to the family member who cap- tures the most unidentifiable neighbor- hood objects (UNOs) on camera.


April Thompson is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. Connect at AprilWrites.com.


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