2nd Annual Eat Local Challenge

What is the Eat Local Challenge?
Did you know that the average ingredient in a North American meal travels over 1,500 miles to reach your plate?  People all over the United States are starting to realize what that distance means in terms of food freshness, fuel usage and farming.  Local First challenges you to spend two weeks eating locally (and to compare the taste and price of locally grown food to stuff grown over 1,500 miles away). 

What do you mean by “local”? 
We mean consciously choosing to eat foods that are grown close to your home.  Many people around the country use 100 miles as their definition of “local.”  We tend to think of local as “as close to home as possible.”  To discover where to find local foods, checkout www.localfirst.com; we’ll feature links to locally owned farms, restaurants, grocery stores, and the Greater Grand Rapids Food Systems Council’s “Guide to Local Food.” 

Why should I eat local food?
You should eat local food because it tastes better, because it can be less expensive, because its takes less fuel to transport it and because eating local food keeps more money in our community.  Did you know that 73% more money stays in our community and re-circulates when you support locally owned businesses?  (This includes locally owned farms, stores and restaurants.)

How can I get involved in the Eat Local Challenge?
Take the Eat Local Challenge by deciding to eat locally from September 12-26 or, if two weeks seems too intimidating, take the challenge for just a few days.  Share your experiences (tasty new discoveries, unexpected challenges, etc.) in our Eat Local Challenge blog, throw an Eat Local Party for your friends (we’ll have great recipes on our website), visit one of our participating businesses to partake in their local goods.