Local vs. organic foods: Which is better?

Local vs. Organic – what’s better?

Hello Locavores!

Almost 2 years ago, as I was reading more and more about eating habits, I was handed the Time Magazine article titled 'Local vs. Organic' (March 7, 2007) http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595245,00.html) by a fellow Florida Association of Community Farmers' Markets Board member (Thanks TA!). This well-written article told of the debate between the two, with sometimes converging and sometimes differing goals. It explained the benefits of organics (nutritionally and environmentally), but mentioned its weakness (trucking the products around the world to meet the demand). Eating locally often means eating more nutritionally as produce is the most nutritionally dense within 3 days of harvest, but the weakness is the use of synthetic fertilizers and chemicals that may be used.

So what’s a forager to do?  Well, here are my guidelines when I'm shopping:

1) Local Organic Produce

2) Local Produce

3) Organic (from anywhere)

4) Produce (from anywhere)

Eating local means something different to everyone. The best definition I have seen comes from local food advocate Joan Gussow who states, "Within a day's leisurely drive of our homes. [This] distance is entirely arbitrary. But then, so was the decision made by others long ago that we ought to have produce from all around the world."  To me, the limit is 150 miles – just in case I found things on the east coast of Florida I couldn't find here. But guess what?  I have almost everything I want nearby. 

You may be thinking great, but what does this cost? It's got to be expensive, right? I can tell you it's not. Sure, I travel the area finding things that most others can't (it's part of my work), but produce prices are comparatively similar – and most prices are actually lower. I have found 1 local survey to back this which found on average that produce prices at Farmers' Market were 8% lower for organic and 11% lower for traditionally grown items compared to grocery stores.

By eating local, I've discovered I like some things I wouldn't touch in the past – such as beets. Sarasota chefs such as Derek Barnes (Derek's Culinary Casual), Steve Phelps and Dougie Vogel (Canvas Cafe') and Lan Breeden (Lan's) have made a point of coming up with ways to prepare them where I like them. (I still haven’t bought and prepared them myself – maybe someday!).

And the best news is that I lost 30 lbs by eating this way. For example, last Friday’s supper included pork chops (My Mother's Garden, 37 miles), new potatoes and green beans (Worden Farms, 54 miles), a salad of heirloom tomatoes (King Farm, 34 miles) and red watercress (Watercress Farms, 41 miles), and strawberries for desert (Hunsader Farms, 39 miles). What’s the secret? The taste keeps me on this diet and the extra nutrition really helps.

A quick follow up to my last blog – Peter Burkard's book is titled "The Real Dirt: An Organic Growers Journey and the Values that Inspired Him". It can be found at authorhouse.com. In the coming weeks, you can also purchase it at his booth at the Sarasota Downtown Farmers' Market. When I saw his copy Saturday, I thought "Wow, there are more words in the book than I've ever heard him speak".

Next week, I'll write about where to find local proteins – from fish to pork to turkey to beef – Florida has it all! 

John the Forager 

This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2009.