Although we live in a major metropolitan area, we are fortunate in the Bay Area to have an abundance of foods grown and raised within a small radius of the City. This allows ample opportunities to incorporate these food choices into our lifestyles. The preference to buy only locally grown foods has even spawned its own term: locavore.

Here are just some of the benefits of planning your next dinner with the fabulous food fare found locally in the Bay Area:

Food tastes better. The average distance produce flown in or trucked in travels is 1,500 miles! Produce grown locally was most likely picked in the last 24 hours, preserving its flavor. A weeklong produce shipment allows for sugars to turn to starches, plant cells to shrink, and vitality to be lost.

Better nutritional value. Fresh produce loses nutrients quickly. Food frozen or canned right after harvest is actually better than produce that might have been on a supermarket shelf or truck for an extended period of time. Food purchased close to its harvest date has a better chance of retaining nutrients.

Local foods support the community. Studies show that supporting local vendors puts more dollars back into the community that would otherwise go to large corporations located in other states. Spending locally creates more vibrant neighborhoods across the City.
Local food can be less expensive. With the high cost of fuel being imposed on consumers more frequently, local vendors are probably less likely to pass on such a charge.

Carbon emissions are reduced. Foods that travels vast distances cost more in terms of transportation, obviously increasing the carbon footprint exponentially. There’s also a “feel good” component to knowing that your food choices are contributing less to global warming.

Better awareness of your food source. It’s a lot easier to know exactly where your food is coming from, if it is organic, and what processes it has gone through before it ends up on your table if you buy local products. At a farmer’s market, you might even be able to ask the grower himself.

San Francisco hosts a dozen year-round framers’ markets and at least six seasonal markets around the City, making fresh produce readily available and accessible for everyone. Visit your local farmers market or, better yet, grow some succulent tomatoes or crisp lettuce in your own backyard!

Julia Strzesieski is the marketing coordinator at Cole Hardware and can be reached at [email protected].