Nourished by fresh, local, and seasonal foods our bodies are in rhythm with our climate - stronger, healthier and more resistant to disease. The harvest of this local bounty brings us in contact with the vendors and farmers. This local market creates a dialogue, which attaches faces and personalities to the wonderful foods that are raised here.

Essay
Take a trip to a farm on Sauvie Island with Chef Cory Schreiber from Wildwood Restaurant.

Buying Locally and in Season

Because of the varied climate of the Northwest, different foods are available from local sources at different times of the year, and foods in season here may not be in season in other regions and countries. But looking at what's available in the produce department of your local supermarket, you may not be able to tell if it is July or January outside! That's because in most of the United States we have become accustomed to having the same foods available year round. Fresh produce from across the country and around the world is shipped to our supermarkets throughout the year. But though we depend on and enjoy this convenience, it contributes to hidden costs that are not usually considered. These include loss of farmland and number of farms and several natural resource costs involved in the ceaseless marketing and movement of food. Supporting farms in the Northwest is not only good for farmers, it is good for the area's economy. Studies have shown that rural communities with many family farms have the healthiest economies and that with the loss of each farm three to five other rural jobs are also lost.

When customers buy foods that are produced in distant areas, they weaken the local market for northwestern farmers. The farms that dot the northwestern landscape can make the area vibrant and healthy. And though farms fail for different reasons, many northwestern farmers would be unable to stay in business without the strong support of regional consumers. Transporting fresh produce to the Northwest from other regions requires a significant amount of energy. Currently, the price of fuel is low enough that it is economical to ship food great distances. But some environmental costs, such as air pollution and damage to our roadways, are not accounted for in the price of our food. When food is transported from far away, it needs to be kept cool. The refrigeration needed to keep food fresh during its long journey to market uses energy and may require chloro-fluorocarbons (CFCs) or other ozone-depleting gases.

There are other, less tangible benefits to regional and seasonal eating. Eating foods that are grown in the Northwest can help you become more aware of local agricultural cycles and of the seasons and weather. Eating in season leads to a heightened sense of awareness and excitement as the season for your favorite local produce arrives. Once you've tasted a juicy, local vine-ripened tomato at the peak of the season, you’ll notice the difference with the pink, hard tomato you'll find in stores in the middle of winter.

-Source: adapted by the Capstone Project with permission from the Northeast Regional Food Guide, Cornell University