In early February there was a blurb in the Seattle Times about a Salem man who called off his attempt to eat only local foods for a year because he realized he was causing more damage to the atmosphere by driving “around the state” to shop. Well… okay. Driving around the state for your food does sound like a pretty bad idea. But, was it really necessary? And what about the other reasons for choosing local foods (when possible)? I admit, I don’t know Salem as well as I know the Corvallis/Albany area, but I have been trying to understand what this gentleman wasn’t finding close enough to home. I think that this aspect of local food advocacy can be a gray area, and we need to be informed consumers. Here are some of my thoughts on shopping locally: Let them come to you The Oregon Farmers’ Market Association...
