Why Bother Shopping Local?

A funny thing has happened lately. Maybe it's because the blog is about to turn two years old or maybe it's because I've struck out on my own, but my friends (yes, I mean you, Doug and Melissa) have been pushing me to define why I write this blog.

The conversations have gone something like this:

Friend: "So, how's the blog going."

Me: "Great. Readership has really picked up."

Friend: "So, what's the next step."

Me: "I'm not sure. I've had this idea or that idea."

Friend: "Ok, but why?"

Me: "Damn."

So, here's the why. I write Austin Farm to Table because I like to cook and I think eating food that is grown locally is better for you. Why?

I imagine that most of the folks who read this blog have their own answer, but here's mine. It would be an understatement to say that I haven't always made the best choices in my life. Through those mistakes, I learned the hard way that our daily decisions effect our lives and those around us. It's true for the big choices and the "small" ones like food.

Buying a chicken from Sebastian at Countryside Family Farm doesn't just impact me by providing me with a flavorful bird that had a very happy life as it roamed this earth and is free of antibiotics and pesticides. It also means that Sebastian and his family, he has a lovely wife and daughter who I met at the market, have a better life. I want that for me and for them. I'm connected to them. And, if for some bizarre reason, I got a bad chicken from Sebastian, I could look him in the eyes and tell him that. There is integrity and trust in our transaction. There is no way that Chris from Milagro or Larry from Harvest Times is going to sell me a bad vegetable.

I'm not going to lie. I started shopping at the farmers market because I thought it was fun, and it is. I love roaming the booths and running into old friends I didn't expect to see. I delight in hearing a band I know nothing about while I shop for tomatoes. But, it didn't take long for me to realize that there was more to it than that.

The food I bought tasted different - better. Because the vegetables are picked right before the market, they are at their peak when you eat them. And, the meats are tastier - fresher - the sausages handmade and lovingly seasoned.

And then, there are the farmers. When I skip a weekend or two, I notice that I miss them. When I visit a different market, I feel like I'm cheating on them. I've gotten hooked on Coop Coffee at the Sunset Valley Farmers Market, but I still go downtown because I have certain vendors I have to see.

So, is eating locally better for you? Well, you are getting the freshest food possible and aren't pumping pesticides and antibiotics into your body through what you are eating so I'm going to say "Yes" to that one.

Is it better for the environment? I'm not a scientist, but the logic part of my brain says that not shipping your food across the country or world and not pumping pesticides into our ground/water is also better for the environment.

Does it taste better? Usually. I'm not going to tell you that there aren't better products somewhere else, but, particularly with produce, being able to eat something that was picked closer to its ripeness is key.

Is it better for your soul? YES! Wouldn't you just love to be connected to the people who feed you?

The great thing is that there are farmers markets everywhere. I'll be highlighting more as we go along in the blog, but there is one in almost every area in Central Texas now. And, many of the local grocers, like H-E-B, Central Market and Wheatsville, agree that buying local is a good idea so they have made it easy to find the local products.

If you aren't a cook, there are plenty of choices for you, too. I've started highlighting the restaurants who work with local farms and there are a growing number of sustainable restaurants to visit in Central Texas.

I'm not perfect and don't claim to be. I don't eat sustainably every meal, but I try and it's worth it. I'm healthier and happier than I've ever been, both physically and mentally, and I would love for you to have the same thing.

That's why. Now, I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

So why do you shop sustainably? Feel free to share!