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Fads in food come and go as quickly as the daily headlines. We’ve got crash diets, concept restaurants, and celebrity chefs; so it’s easy to discount the next movement that rolls around. But a recent revolution has seized the attention of many Americans and it appears to be taking root.
They call themselves ‘locavores’. Like the Slow Food Movement, this grassroots group takes pride in consuming food raised and grown as close to home as possible. Some followers take this to the extreme by only eating food they grow themselves. Most, however, just try to buy local whenever possible. The more frequent, the better.
There are several arguments for eating a local-based diet. Locavores claim that by eating food from within a 100-mile radius we save carbon emissions by the ton. Why eat an apple from New Zealand when you can get one from Texas? Furthermore, that Texas apple will almost certainly be fresher than the other fruit after such a long journey. Support for small farms is also one of the main incentives. The belief is that large farms produce items of inferior quality with less nutritional value while stifling the tradition of small American farms.
Whether you agree with the local food movement or not, tasting the food from your area can be a pretty interesting experience. Even more interesting is knowing where your food comes from and in some cases even meeting the grower. In my own explorations, I have generally found locally grown produce to taste better. Going to the farmers market on a sunny day can be very relaxing and the produce is often cheaper than in the supermarket.
To read about other people’s experience with eating local, pick up a copy of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. The chapters read like prose but give a fabulous insight into the American food industry.
In Fort Worth, several restaurants are dedicated to using local items as much as possible. Bonnell’s prides itself in maintaining a personal connection with their produce and meat providers and Spiral Diner uses organic ingredients whenever possible.
Below are links to area markets and groups related to the slow food movement.
Localharvest.org
Ridgmar Famer's Market
Pick Texas
AnimalVegetableMiracle.com
Epicurious Article
NewFarm.org
Slow Food Dallas
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