Each of these varied marketing techniques joins farmers and consumers in the local food system. [11] Other chains, like Wegman's (a 71-store chain across the northeast), have long cooperated with the local food movement. [4] The American Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 states that: (I) the locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or(II) the State in which the product is produced. All of the sudden, you know vendors at the farmers market, the buying manager at the local cheese shop, the butcher at your favorite meat counter, the workers at the co-op that sells local eggs, the roaster, and barista at the local café. University of Minnesota Extension. In 2005, there were 1,144 community-supported agriculture organizations (CSAs). Some evidence of this growth includes nearly tripling the number of farmers’ markets, and the initiation of thousands of farm-to-school programs across the U.S. Local foods have often topped consumer and food professional surveys of food trends. ATTRA. Looking for new dinner recipes? [14][15] The campaign is a partnership between The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), with support from N.C. At the time, the resolutions were met with strong criticism from pro-business institutions, but have had a strong resurgence of backing since 2000. 75% of shoppers at farmers' markets arrived in groups compared to 16% of shoppers at supermarkets. Cottage food laws are made on a State-by-State basis to determine which foods are considered “non-hazardous.” This varies based on location, although it generally includes foods that do not need to be refrigerated and do not contain meat. In-season, locally grown tomatoes burst with flavor that's easy to forget if you only eat ones that are artificially ripened with gas. There were 2,095 farm to school programs in 2009. For more in-depth information, see USDA Economic Research Service January 2015 Report - Trends in U.S. Local and Regional Food Systems: A Report to Congress. Local food systems operate within the existing framework for all food regulations and policies. What homemade foods can be legally sold at a farmers market? Strawberries fresh from the field make the long-shipped specimens of winter seem hardly worth the effort to chew them. Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system. Local food is food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed, often accompanied by a social structure and supply chain different from the large-scale supermarket system.[1]. [3] Using metrics such as these, a Vermont-based farm and food advocacy organization, Strolling of the Heifers, publishes the annual Locavore Index, a ranking of the 50 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. Farmers who run community-supported agriculture programs (CSAs), sell at farmers markets, provide to local restaurants, and have the demand and hence the economic support for raising more types of produce and livestock. Many local farmers whom locavores turn to for their source of food use the crop rotation method when producing their organic crops. Websites now exist that aim to connect people to local food growers. "AAAS: Climate-friendly Dining ... Meats | Environment | Science News. [3] Definitions can be based on political or geographic boundaries, or on food miles. According to a study conducted at Lincoln University in New Zealand: "As a concept, food miles has gained some traction with the popular press and certain groups overseas. In May 2010 the USDA acknowledged this definition in an informational leaflet. Contact your State agriculture department or extension office for more information about what is legal in your State. Local foods tend to create a greater variety of foods. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser’s address (or “location”) bar. Technol., 42, no.10 (2008): 3508. A range of local, State, and Federal regulations guide marketing, food safety, licensing, and other activities related to food production and sale. Most state Departments of Agriculture (or similar departments) operate programs to promote locally grown products with slogans such as “Georgia Grown” or “Utah's Own.”. More importantly, local food systems connect farms and consumers at the point of sale. Some people define local food as produce bought directly from the farm, … [6], In 2008, the United States farm bill was revised to emphasise nutrition: "it provides low-income seniors with vouchers for use at local produce markets, and it added more than $1 billion to the fresh fruit and vegetable program, which serves healthy snacks to 3 million low-income children in schools".[7]. United Nations, n.d. Local food represents an alternative to the global food model, which often sees food traveling long distances before it reaches the consumer. University of Minnesota. The "Land Degradation" section of the United Nations report Livestock's Long Shadow concludes that "Intensification - in terms of increased productivity both in livestock production and in feed crop agriculture - can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation". [10] They often include a map where fruit and vegetable growers can pinpoint their location and advertise their produce.