Friday, September 10, 2010

What exactly is..."Local"

Yesterday we were in the thick of moving, and decided to stop off at Whole Foods for lunch. We were discussing our Thanksgiving plans when we realized this was shaping up to be the easiest local meal we'll make this year.

Local turkey, apple pie (from the apples I lovingly peeled and sliced a few weeks ago), pumpkin pie (not canned--the real deal from a local pumpkin patch), some root veggies and probably a crisp Kale salad. And let's not forget fresh baked bread from local flour we get from Nash's Organic Produce!

There is a tradition, however, that I feared wouldn't be the same. That tradition is simple: sitting on the couch while the turkey is cooking, watching football and eating...chips. That's right. Chips. The saltiest, greasiest chips that provide a great amount of crunch and crumb.

When I mentioned this to Dan, we started brainstorming...We could make our own! We could make them out of sweet potatoes! We could try baked versus fried! Yes!

But that also sounded like a whole lotta work, and so while at Whole Foods, I wandered through the chip aisle, just to see what is already out there.

Stickers lined the shelves - "LOCAL!" - pointing out local products. I picked up a bag. "Organic Corn Tortilla chips, made with loving care in Washington..."

Yes...

"...with Organic Corn from the American Southwest". Damn.

I turned over bag after bag labeled by Whole Foods as "LOCAL", and couldn't find a single product actually from Washington.

Now, I appreciate local businesses. I think supporting local businesses is important. But Washington has lots of corn. Why couldn't they get their corn from a grower in Washington State?

I guess when it comes down to it, to truly support the little guy, or support the local farmers, you need to do just that. There is only one way to truly know where your food is coming from.

Buy direct.

1 comment:

  1. In case you need some gin for the holiday this is made nearly all from WA

    http://www.dryflydistilling.com/

    ReplyDelete