A Bit Too “Locavoracious”

If you open the latest Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate dictionary, (or use it online) you’ll now find an entry for “locavore”. The New Oxford American Dictionary made it the “word of the year” way back in 2007, so no kudos for the Websterites…they’re bit late to the party. In any case, Webster defines it as “one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible.”


  • it helps the environment,
  • it’s healthier and fresher, and
  • it supports small farmers in your area.




One local supermarket chain in my area is advertising their produce section as an “indoor farmer’s market” (yikes!), and “all natural” seems to be the most misleading adjective of the decade. We need to look beyond marketing claims, and try to really understand where our food comes from, and how it’s produced. As one of the Carnegie Mellon scientists pointed out “for the average consumer, buying local is not as important as what you eat.”

Photo copyright swanksalot at flickr.com.


LMj Sunshine

Good info and article, thank you.

LMj Sunshine

Good info and article, thank you.

LMj Sunshine

Good info and article, thank you.

P H.
P H7 years ago

Sir Walk,

You have made very good and valid points. I agree.

Pamela K.
Pamela K7 years ago

I am replying to Sir Walk F.--I think the point of the article is exactly that we need to look at how we define things like "local", "natural", etc. MOST of the time, locally grown products will be better and better for you and the environment BUT not necessarily if you live near a feedlot, factory farm or other industrial form of agriculture. Large producers can and do prey on people's ignorance when using terms such as "natural" , "locally grown", etc. to describe their products. THat said, SOME large agricultural producers are taking strides to improve their record.
I don't think the article said anything about "local" not being better--we just need to know exactly what we mean by that and that it is not the ONLY criteria to look for. Also, don't believe all the advertizing hype--check out the food source (even some Farmer's Markets allow vendors to bring food in from elsewhere).

James D.
James D7 years ago

Thank you, Sir Walk F.! Well stated and much more to the point, in long or short terms.

Sir Walk F.
Sir Walk F7 years ago

(Cont from below):

It will not be much longer (a decade?) before we dont have the luxury of cheap petroleum that allows us to ship food thousands of miles or more, and we have a good opportunity now to shift our energy and resources into our local, bio-regional food production systems, so that we can have a strong, stable source of food for the future that doesnt require so many expensive outside inputs.

Sir Walk F.
Sir Walk F7 years ago

You make some valid points, but are only looking at the picture through a limited lens. I really have trouble understanding the 'anti-local' sentiment that has been popping up lately. Local is almost always better.

Many factors, obviously, come in to play when discussing what 'local' means. But one important factor isnt just the 'food miles' in play for the one particular purchase, but the fact that when you spend money outside your community, that money leaves your economy basically forever. Numerous studies have shown that buying local is MUCH more beneficial to your local community.

And when you are buying from local farms, you have the opportunity to engage with the farmer, and discuss your preferences for more 'organic' practices.

Of course, when you present a dichotomy between pasture-raised lamb from New Zealand and Factory-Farmed meat in the states, with no other factors, the impact of the carbon footprint involved in transportation becomes minimal by comparison. But there are far more option for just about anyone in the states than merely worst-case examples.

Visit your local farmers market and seek out the local sources. Trust me, the long-term gain will be worth it. You will begin a relationship with the people producing your food, you will be voting with your dollars, and those dollars will be 7 times more likely to stay in your community.