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I don't see the link to the article.

the barry schwartz talk was awesome! i love that he uses cartoons to get his points across. they're so perfectly fitting.

Me, neither, @SFGail

This appears to be the article they're talking about, though: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/26/business/worldbusiness/26food.html

Sorry, my bad; I just fixed it.

I live in Tucson which is very much a desert. We do have farming communities somewhat nearby, but, well, pretty much everything very nearby is also a desert. So there's a question of just what produce to buy - the produce that comes from nearby farms that must use water resources that the region just does not have*, or from places farther away that are more naturally suited to agriculture but are, well, farther away. What's better for the environment? To be honest, I have no clue at all.


*Though many of the farms in the region do work hard to employ methods that use less water than the traditional farming methods. That said, you simply can't grow most vegetables in or near Tucson without using more water than the region naturally provides. So while the local farms may be doing a lot, they're still using great amounts of water resources in the growing of the food...water resources that are quickly becoming depleted.

I read this a couple of months ago -- I'm surprised The Kitchen wasn't following this series to begin with...I suppose it's better late than never, though, right?

Thank you for posting this. The more reminders/encouragement people have to buy local, the better.

However, I will never, ever give up my Kerry Gold Butter. :)

I would love to buy from the local farmers market -- but when they charge soooo much for their produce, I can't rationalize it.

I am an avid recycler, I write my senators and representative about environmental legislation -- I know how important it is to support local food producers.

But when I've spent 30 dollars and walk away with only four heirloom tomatoes and three zucchini's? I've never felt such buyers remorse over making gazpacho.

The farmers at the market are not charging those costs to pay for their Jimmy Choos. They are charging what it costs to grow food sustainibly. Industrial farming is subsidized now at great cost for the future. We Americans spend less of our income on food than the citizens of any other country. So your purse may be more padded if you buy your tomatoes and zucchini at the grocery store, but the costs to the environment and local food culture are not factored in there and the veggies just don't taste as good. It may be worth reconsidering your judgement on the farmer's markets.

Krigone: in addition to what erinrodri said, please read Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan, it will completely change the way you think about food.