8 Good Reasons for Following the Localtarian Trend

Photo: Alessandro Oliva / Istock

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By definition, localtarians are "those that care about the environmental impact of their food choices." It also refers to finding the majority of what you eat within, say, a 250 mile radius of your home — which as any true localtarian may tell you, is a tough but rewarding challenge. If you're on the fence about eating local only or feel that it's hard enough trying to eat with a conscious in our society as it is, here are 8 reasons why you should consider following the localtarian trend.

1. Eating Local Shields Us From Food Safety Issues It's comforting to know that if global food corporations fail us, we have many family farms that can still feed us much of what we'd find at a superstore. Lettuce laced with E.coli anyone? This most likely won't be an issue when you purchase your baby lettuces from the hard working farmer down the local dirt road.

2. Eating Local Equals Eating With the Seasons It doesn't get much better than enjoying an heirloom tomato during the dog days of summer or cooking up a sweet heirloom pumpkin to toss into a favorite pie recipe for the holidays. You'll also get to choose from a wider variety of produce and if you're lucky, your local farmer will throw in a recipe or two.

3. Eating Local Helps Safeguard the Best Tasting Varieties of Fruit and Vegetables Local farmers grow heirloom varieties for taste, to keep the fruit or vegetable's unique genetic makeup going strong, and so that the fruits (and veg) of their labor will be around for generations to come.

4. Local Farms Help Protect Open Spaces Otherwise this same land can be turned into commodity producing crops or more likely, sold off for development. It also gives land owners incentive to continue sustaining their open space in an environmentally-friendly way.

5. Every Local Dollar Spent on Local Food Has a Positive Effect on Your Local Economy The money you spend on local food tends to stay within and benefit the local economy longer — that's a win-win for you and your community.

6. Generally, Locally Grown Produce is Harvested Within 24 Hours of Purchase Try comparing this to the majority of the grocery store produce you purchase that spends extended periods of time in cold storage or traipsing across the countryside in a big rig.

7. Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables Have a Longer Time to Ripen Locally grown fruits and vegetables are harvested and sold at their peak of the season; which in turn, means peak flavor and nutrition. They're also more likely to have less pesticide residue to worry about.

8. Locally Grown Foods Taste Better ... Period

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