Food Miles Matter

As more people are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint, they’re finding decreasing food miles can make an immediate impact. There’s a simple way to focus on eating local- cooking up a 100 mile meal!

Whatever lens you look at local food through- food miles, local economy, food waste, ecology, soil health, humane animal care, climate crisis, community building, nutritional content or simply TASTE- local food wins. Hands Down. Hands in the ground.  

Let’s savor the ideas of “Growing Your Own + Knowing Your Farmer” as a two tined approach to digging in and eating more local.

Forks in the Dirt
Cows at Miron Dairy in Hugo MN, 13 miles from my home.

By the Numbers

Figuring out food miles can be a little shocking at first. It is estimated the average item you pick up from any grocery store has traveled around 1,500 miles before you find it on a shelf. Think of different common foods you buy if you pick up around the Twin Cities Metro Area:

  • Raspberries from Mexico- 2,000 miles
  • Garlic from China- 5,000 miles
    (90% of garlic comes from China)
  • Oranges from Florida- 1,800 miles
  • Avocados from California- 2,000 miles

Now do that for each item.
Every time you shop.
You can see how quickly just the food miles add up.

In Hope Jahren’s 2020 book, The Story of More: “How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here” she talks about the many ways we have accelerated climate change. She lists buying locally, along with driving less and opting for less meat as solid options for living a more sustainable lifestyle.

Local Location

Picking blueberries to preserve over the winter

Did you know Minnesota’s in-state food systems offer ample ways to bring together entire meals from under a 100-mile circumference? We are truly blessed to experience the best of both worlds; thriving urban areas with top shelf art, medical and educational resources while nestled right up to lush farmland.

Our unique location, coupled with a meaningful resurgence of small scale family farms have recently opened up even more local food options. There is all this food surrounding us just waiting for us to dig in!

Digging In

There’s no better time to start practicing the 100 Mile Meal than at the Holidays. When you’re taking extra time and care to serve family favorites it make sense to show the love not only to those gathering at the table with you, but also to the land that grew the food. Your local food purchases also show that love to those that grew the food.

Farmers Markets

Sample of food from last season’s WBL Winter Markets

The White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Markets are a great way to gather hyper-local foods for your family- especially those holiday meals. We’re partnering with 20 different local farmers and craft food producers to bring you options for everything from the turkey, to the potatoes and apple pie! With monthly markets in November, December and January we bring local food into the winter even here in Minnesota. Even during Covid we’re finding ways to gather together, safely distanced to bring our neighbors good real food. Follow the Facebook Event for up to date information.

Choosing Local Food

I believe strongly that adding in more small-scale family farms can have a lasting impact on so many of our ecological and economic issues. For more information, check out my Local Food for Thought article. If you’d like to get a peek into my local food journey’s winding road, check out Springing into Local Food.

You could also take the pledge at Local Food is Essential. This is a campaign in MN + WI giving people resources on why + how to buy local.

If you’re interested in a step by step overview of Minnesota Local food practices, you should check out “Local Food: Where to Find it, How to Buy it”. Developed by MISA in cooperation with our many partner organizations and beautifully designed by the Renewing the Countryside folks, this book steps you through everything from finding a nearby farmers’ market, ordering through a network of nearby farmers, to freezing summer produce for winter eating.

I’ll also give a shout out to MN GROWN for all they do to promote access to local food, and to support our farmers. They have a great searchable online database for farmers markets, or search by product.

Home Grown + Locally Grown = Delicious!

As we gear up for the holiday season, please consider thinking more about the food miles attached to what’s on your menu. I bet you’ll be able to taste (and feel) the difference at the table.

If you have favorite ways to eat more local food, let me know – there’s always more to learn on the back country roads of eating local.

Dig In,

Michelle