Word of the Day: LOCAVORE

I was at my friend Katie's yesterday and her savvy MIL introduced me to a really cool word I hadn't heard before: Locavore. "What does that mean?", I asked. "It's a person who eats only locally", she said. Got it - Herbivore, Omnivore, Locavore. Cool.

This guy is definitely a Locavore!

Wiki doesn't have a specific page dedicated to Locavore (yet). The search engine will redirect you to "Local Food" which pretty much sums it up:

Local food (also regional food or food patriotism) or the local food movement is a "collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies - one in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution, and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place"^[1] and is considered to be a part of the broader sustainability movement. It is part of the concept of local purchasing and local economies, a preference to buy locally produced goods and services. Those who prefer to eat locally grown/produced food sometimes call themselves locavores or localvores.^[2]

Since Madelyn was born I have been putting a small effort into this myself, though it probably deserves more. Here's what I'm trying to do to be more Locavore:

1. Shop local Toronto farmers markets: We go regularly to the Sherway Market and it's pretty rad.
2. Shop local butchers: I like to go to Rowe farms on Roncesvalles but there are tons in the city.
3. frontdoororganics.com: My neighbour, Rika, introduced me to this cool delivery service. They have a discounted option if you go local with your delivery.
4. Read Labels: This one is the easiest. Of course there are items that absolutely need to be imported (Italian Olive Oil, Kiwi, Mangoes) but a lot of essential cooking supplies can be sourced from our wonderful Province of Ontario.
5. Plant a Backyard Garden: This is one of my projects for next summer (tips & ideas welcome). For now I just steal stuff at night from my neighbours amazing garden.