Benefits of local eating highlighted
Eating local is good for you.
That was the message delivered Saturday by Jennifer L. Wilkins, a senior extension associate and professor at Cornell University. Mrs. Wilkins spoke to farmers and students at Case Middle School about benefits of local and in-season eating.
Mrs. Wilkins is responsible for publishing the "Northeast Regional Food Guide," which details how to eat local and in-season foods and why that is important.
"It's probably the best time to be interested in local foods," she said at Saturday's lecture.
Locally and regionally grown foods are more beneficial than those imported at national chain stores, because of what Mrs. Wilkins refers to as "food miles." How long a fruit or vegetable travels to get to the consumer has a direct effect on the amount of nutrients it has. Products purchased directly from a local farmer lose very little nutritional value compared with those traveling from California.
Additionally, money spent at farmers' markets goes directly to the farmer, instead of going to distribution costs.
According to Mrs. Wilkins, there are 400 to 500 farmers' markets in the state. With many of them introducing programs for accepting food stamps, more people are able to buy more produce and vegetables locally, which not only benefits the economy but allows the buyer to reap the benefits of a healthier diet.
Rosalind L. Cook, community food security educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, said she encourages consumers to buy locally because it's important to know who is growing your food.
She noted that with the recent recall of lettuce in 23 states because of an outbreak of E. coli, the interest in buying local food increases because of fear.
"It makes people feel less confident" about purchasing non-local foods, she said.
Also at the event, a small panel of local farmers — Renee C. Smith of Sugar Hill Farms, DeKalb Junction; Tina Steiner, owner of Burrville Cider Mill, Burrville; and Delta A. Keeney, co-owner of Windswept Meadows Farms, Burrville — addressed the importance of community-supported agriculture programs.
In CSA programs, consumers buy a share of a farm and are provided with produce from that farm's harvest. Mrs. Smith began a CSA when parents of children in her day-care center showed interest in the farm's grass-fed beef.
Following the presentations, attendees were treated to locally grown salads, soups produced with local ingredients, and focaccia provided by Doxtater's Market and Bakery in Evans Mills.
