These are tips from Low Impact Week, which was held in February 2011 but can be done anytime!

The average mouthful of food travels an estimated 1,500 miles to reach us, requiring a staggering amount of fossil fuel.  Every time we eat food locally grown or produced, we reduce the need for these transportation costs.

Today we invite you to think about the food you eat and its relationship to your health. Try one or more of these steps:

  • Try to eat no meat today: be kind to your heart and try some great vegetarian dishes.
  • Buy groceries from the Davis Farmers Market, Davis Food Coop, or grocery stores that offer locally grown food and lower your carbon “food-print.”
  • Eat organically grown foods and keep both you and our planet healthier.

The real costs of eating meat are much greater than the price tag. Vast swaths of forest are being cleared for pastures, robbing the planet of trees, which absorb carbon dioxide. Cattle and sheep also release huge amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. A recent United Nations study found that meat production is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions – more than the entire transportation sector.

The advantages of buying local food are many:  you receive fresh, delicious, nutritious food, the farmers stand a better chance of earning a decent living, and family farms are preserved.  If you need recipes: check out www.vegetariantimes.com

With regard to eating organic, you are reasonably assured that harmful substances will not get into the soil, food crops, and your body.   For community supported agriculture programs and farms in Yolo County, see: www.yolocounty.org/Index.aspx?page=1901.

Do you have a good idea to share with your neighbors? Add your comment below and update us on how the Challenge is going!