"Locovores" eat foods from their local foodshed
or a self-determined radius from their home (commonly either 100 or 250
miles, depending on location). By eating locally, most locavores hope
to create a greater connection between themselves and their food
sources, resist industrialized and processed foods, and support their
local economy.
In trying to live a more sustainable, logical lifestyle, many locavores give themselves exceptions to a strict local diet. Commonly excluded items include coffee, chocolate, salt, and/or spices. To keep a local focus, they often try to find local coffee roasters, chocolate producers, and spice importers.
There is a growing interest in regional native foods and ethnic foods such as the Southwest's historic Mexican influence with herbs and peppers. But there are additional native foods such as dried beans, squash, corn and nuts.
Locovores find tremendous challenge and adventure in discovering what grows in their own neighborhood and nearby communities. They learn more about their ecosystems and how their use of water, their waste management choices and their choice of housing size, materials and styles all affect the natural food production capability in their region. Everything is connected ... weather patterns, soil nutrients, drainage, insect infestations...and even those humble gardeners, migrating birds!
Locovores have much to learn from their wild neighbors -- both plants and animals. What a great challenge to give your family -- trying to eat foods from driving distance from where you live!
"Leslie Allen has always been enthusiastic in her support of northern Nevada's local food lifestyle. As commercial horticulture program coordinator for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE), it's part of her job ... yet her passion for this increasingly important field goes far beyond the norm. So much so, in fact, that Allen's love of what she does has found a new description." She's a "Locavore" ... and proud of it.
A local eating study, known as "Locavore Nation," in which participants attempted to eat 80% of their food from local, organic and sustainable sources. "Locavore Nation" was sponsored by America Public Media's radio show, "The Splendid Table."
After voluntarily subjecting themselves to eating 80% locally produced foods for a year, the 15 participants in the Splendid Table's "Locavore Nation" have been released from captivity and are free to go back to eating Corn Nuts and powdered mini donuts.
You can retrace their steps on the "Splendid Table" site, where the entire year's worth of blogs are still archived.
Learn more about Locovores at www.Locavore.ws
In trying to live a more sustainable, logical lifestyle, many locavores give themselves exceptions to a strict local diet. Commonly excluded items include coffee, chocolate, salt, and/or spices. To keep a local focus, they often try to find local coffee roasters, chocolate producers, and spice importers.
There is a growing interest in regional native foods and ethnic foods such as the Southwest's historic Mexican influence with herbs and peppers. But there are additional native foods such as dried beans, squash, corn and nuts.
Locovores find tremendous challenge and adventure in discovering what grows in their own neighborhood and nearby communities. They learn more about their ecosystems and how their use of water, their waste management choices and their choice of housing size, materials and styles all affect the natural food production capability in their region. Everything is connected ... weather patterns, soil nutrients, drainage, insect infestations...and even those humble gardeners, migrating birds!
Locovores have much to learn from their wild neighbors -- both plants and animals. What a great challenge to give your family -- trying to eat foods from driving distance from where you live!
"Leslie Allen has always been enthusiastic in her support of northern Nevada's local food lifestyle. As commercial horticulture program coordinator for University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE), it's part of her job ... yet her passion for this increasingly important field goes far beyond the norm. So much so, in fact, that Allen's love of what she does has found a new description." She's a "Locavore" ... and proud of it.
A local eating study, known as "Locavore Nation," in which participants attempted to eat 80% of their food from local, organic and sustainable sources. "Locavore Nation" was sponsored by America Public Media's radio show, "The Splendid Table."
After voluntarily subjecting themselves to eating 80% locally produced foods for a year, the 15 participants in the Splendid Table's "Locavore Nation" have been released from captivity and are free to go back to eating Corn Nuts and powdered mini donuts.
You can retrace their steps on the "Splendid Table" site, where the entire year's worth of blogs are still archived.
Learn more about Locovores at www.Locavore.ws
