State says ‘Eat Local’
NYers challenged to eat only locally grown food for one day this week

by Larry Austin and readMedia Newswire
Grand Island Dispatch, August 8, 2008

A shopper buys produce at Susie’s Produce on Grand Island Boulevard. (photo by Larry Austin)

New York State Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hooker challenged all New Yorkers this week to “eat local” for at least one day.

The week of Aug. 3-9 is National Farmers’ Market Week and, during the peak of fresh summer produce, New Yorkers were challenged by Hooker to only eat foods that are produced or grown here in the Empire State.

“Here’s the challenge,” Hooker said. “Pick a day this week and try to eat only locally grown or made products for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any snacks in between. This simple task has tremendous benefits for everyone in New York. Buying and eating local foods supports our hard-working farmers, keeps farmland open and productive, reduces food miles, which saves on gas and can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And last but not least, it tastes great as it is picked at the peak of harvest and offers not only excellent flavor, but maximum nutrition.”

Rick Eicheldinger of Susie’s Produce on Grand Island Boulevard called Hooker’s challenge “a great idea.”

Eicheldinger has run a farmer’s market for 25 years, named after his late sister, and sells locally grown fruits and vegetables. Some of his produce comes from Tom and Dan Tower’s farm on Route 93 in Youngstown, while Paul and Jeff Freedman of Ransomville provide corn and tomatoes. Goodman Farms of Wilson also provides produce to the market, located in front of the Charles DeGlopper VFW Post.

The concept of buying local is simply to buy food or any goods or service produced, grown or raised as close to home as possible. With industrialization and globalization, food now travels further to reach the average consumer’s refrigerator. “Food miles” is a term that refers to the distance food travels. The food miles for items in an average grocery store tend to be 27 times higher than the food miles for goods bought from local sources, such as farmers’ markets.

“Locally grown produce, at least you know it’s going to be fresh,” Eicheldinger said. “It’s got to be fresh-picked within the last day or two. That’s huge.”

Produce harvested longer than three or four days loses its sugar content, he added. “So fresher is always better.”

Business at farmer’s markets is picking up, Eicheldinger said, because people are becoming more and more health conscious and discerning about what they eat.

In the U.S., produce sold at a grocery store travels nearly 1,500 miles, with approximately 40 percent of fruit grown overseas and 9 percent of red meat coming from countries as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Eicheldinger noted a recent salmonella poisoning scare, attributed to eating tainted peppers from Mexico.

“If you’re buying stuff that’s locally grown here in Western New York, you don’t have to concern yourself with that,” he said.

In addition, roughly 80 percent of the energy used in the U.S. food system goes to processing, packaging, transporting, storing and preparing food, and therefore, buying and eating local food helps reduce transportation costs, allowing more of the food dollar to be returned to the farmer. More markets closer to home means more money staying in family budgets also.

“And you’ve got this gas crisis, so people aren’t traveling as much and they’re eating home more and eating healthier,” Eicheldinger said. “The more local markets like this, obviously, the better for people because it’s more convenient for them. They don’t have to travel.”

“The purpose of this challenge is to raise the awareness of locally grown foods, get consumers to ask for local products and get people to look at their labels and learn more about their food,” Hooker said. “So don’t stop after the challenge, make it a point to include New York products in every meal, all year long.”

To find New York grown, produced or made food, visit www.prideofny.com.