Eat Local - Anywhere!

How to eat local during your travels.
Eating locally makes good sense. Whether you’re a dedicated locavore (only eating food grown or harvested within a certain radius, say 50, 100, or 150 miles) or simply appreciate locally grown fare, choosing local foods supports small farmers and your community as well as the environment. Not that it’s a sacrifice: because local food is biodiverse and grown for taste rather than shipping or industrial harvesting, it delivers premium flavor, too.

But what happens when you’re not local? At home you may have joined your food co-op and identified key restaurants that serve local fare. You know when and where to catch the farmers market, and maybe you’ve even established relationships with a local farmer or two. But on the road, in a new town?

Actually, not only is it easy to eat locally while traveling, it can enrich your trip. For one thing, you can learn a great deal about a place through the food grown and served there, for example. Do the residents of the area eat spicy foods? Which spices do they enjoy? Do they drink wine or beer from a local brewery or vineyard? Is seafood a mainstay? Is the area well known for a particular dish or food or for special preparation techniques? Are there local delicacies? What grows best in the climate? What’s in season right now? What shows up in abundance at the farmers market?

Purchasing local fare helps support the community you’re visiting. At the same time, you’ll likely enjoy the most healthful, delicious food available—rather than the least healthful and tasty, which is often the case when on the road and eating food that has more miles on it than you’ve traveled.

What to look for in your new locale:

Co-ops. Not only is the neighborhood co-op a sure bet for local produce, baked goods, and other healthful local fare, it’s also a great first stop once you reach your destination. Patrons and staff are apt to know where the best food in town can be found (besides the co-op, of course!). Check the flyers and bulletin boards, too, for events in the area.

While you’re at the co-op, stock up on snacks (fresh fruits, bars, veggies, nuts, beverages), and purchase the ingredients for any fix-it-yourself meals. Be sure to check out the deli counter in lieu of a fast food restaurant. You’re also likely to find a good wine to tuck in that picnic basket next to the freshly baked bread and local cheese. (Remember to stop by the co-op before you leave town, too, to stock up for the next leg of your trip.)

Local farms. Tour a local farm, and/or harvest your own fruit at a U-Pick farm. This is a great way to spend half a day of your trip. You’ll get to know a local farmer, experience the environment, and harvest your own produce—most often berries or other fruits that you can pick and purchase by the pint or bushel. Taste a half dozen varieties of apples or pears (or whatever’s in season) before you go home.

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs). While membership in a CSA usually involves purchasing a share for a season, you may be able to buy leftovers or share in the harvest with willing local residents who are members. Visiting a CSA farm offers a fun one-day outing opportunity.

Farmers markets and farm stands. Discover the community’s bounty, including produce, baked goods, canned goods, and even craft items. Markets and stands are often lively social gatherings too, where you can meet interesting people from the community you’re traveling through.

Wineries and breweries. Some local producers offer tours of their facilities, complete with taste testing. Seek local bakers, cheesemakers, and other food artisans while you’re in the area, too.

Restaurants serving local fare. Eating at a generic restaurant you can find elsewhere (everywhere, for that matter) is easy, but not necessarily much fun. Seek out restaurants that serve “authentic” food that’s been grown, harvested, and cooked by local folks.

Eating locally includes the fun of asking around when you get there and the serendipity of running across roadside farm stands and side-street cafes serving up local cuisine. But it’s also a good idea to arrive with some solid possibilities in hand for local foods. Here are some groups that can help you identify great sources. Investigate when you’re in the planning stages, or get online at your destination.

• Eat Well Guide. Simply type in your zip code (or state) and this site will tell you the farms, bakeries, creameries, farmers markets, restaurants that serve local foods, food co-ops, CSAs, U-pick farms and farm stands in the area. A traveling locavore can even plan a trip by entering starting and ending locations. 
www.eatwellguide.org

• The USDA lists farmers markets online. And it’s more likely than ever that you’ll be able to visit one in your travels. In 1994, the USDA tallied 1,755 farmers markets operating in the US; in 2008 they totaled 4,685. Search according to city and state, and the site will provide locations and hours. 
http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/

• Local Harvest also provides a listing of Farmers Markets, as well as CSAs, restaurants serving “real food,” and co-ops. You can search for local sources by state or zip code. www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/

Good, authentic food—local food—enriches most any experience, travel included. And think of the vacation memories you’ll create—like your cherry stained fingers from the day you picked your own dessert and your first taste of prizewinning huckleberry pie. You may even forge some new friendships at the local co-op or farm stand.