Love Being a Locavore!

Have you ever looked at your dinner plate and wondered “Where did all this food come from?” It might seem like a strange question (because you’d probably say “it came from the fridge!”), but it’s a lot more complicated than that.

What’s Your Food’s Footprint? 

Hopefully, some of the food on your plate hasn’t had to travel too far before it arrived in your kitchen, because the farther food travels, the bigger its carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is how much C0₂ (carbon dioxide) something creates. If the orange slice on your plate had to travel all the way from California to Ontario, it clocked some serious kilometers. On the way, that orange was probably packaged to keep it fresh. All of this adds up to a seriously large carbon footprint for such a small fruit.

Eat Locally!
So what’s the solution? Become a locavore, of course! You probably know all about herbivores (animals that eat plants) and carnivores (animals that eat meat), but you might not be familiar with the term ‘locavore.’ It’s a fancy word for someone who does their best to eat foods that are grown locally. That means:

• Learning all about what things grow in your area at different times of the year: You won’t be able to get everything locally ALL year round, but that’s okay! Try your best to find out which fruits and veggies come from your province and eat those when they’re in season.
• Deciding NOT to purchase items that have traveled a really long distance: If it’s February and you live in Ontario, you’re not going to find any local peaches. There will probably be peaches at your grocery store, though. The problem is that they’ve come from warmer places in South America, and their carbon footprint is huge.
• Making friends with your local farmer: Visit a farmer’s market in your area and learn all about which fruits and veggies are grown close to home. Farmers can help you choose delicious produce, and maybe even suggest something new to try!
• Grow your own fruit and veggies: You don’t even have to wait for summer to do this — you can re-grow many different fruits and vegetables by taking the seeds and putting them in water or a small pot of soil in your kitchen.

Become a Locavore Today!

Are you ready to join thousands of other Earth Rangers and become a locavore? You’re going to want to check out the Live, Love, Local mission. Just visit us on the Earth Rangers App and accept the Mission to start eating locally today!