• Eating locally
  

• 100 Mile diet in Manitoba
  

• Locally grown food in Manitoba
  

• Locations that cater to 100 Mile Manitoba
  

• Effort to Preserve
  

• References
  

Eating locally:

Choosing locally grown foods is one fundamental way that individuals can make a positive impact on their personal health, the environment and the preservation of cultural diversity since the daily need for food is one common thing shared throughout the world.  The concept is often related to the slogan "think globally, act locally''.  The local food movement is a collaborative effort to build more locally based, self-reliant food economies in which sustainable food production, processing, distribution and consumption is integrated to enhance the economic, environmental and social health of a particular place.

What defines local?

            The definition of local is flexible and is different depending on each individual.  Some see local as being a very small area (typically the size of a city and its surroundings), others suggest the ecoregion or bioregion size, while others refer to the borders of their nation or state.  Where local food is determined by the distance it has traveled, the wholesale distribution system can confuse the calculations.  Fresh food that is grown very near to where it will be purchased may still travel hundreds of miles out of the area through the industrial system before arriving back at the local store.  This is seen as a labeling issue by local food advocates, who suggest that, at least in the case of fresh food, consumers should be able to see exactly how far each food item has traveled.

Why is buying local important?

• increases food quality and taste
• more nutrients - nutritional content is kept intact with less time from harvest to ingestion
• seasonally attuned - eating seasonal foods connects us with our local environment
• puts face to the food - honours the age old tradition of bond between eater and grower
• promotes genetic diversity
• supports sustainable farming practices
• preserves green landscape – local farms encourage green spaces that are habitat to diverse plants, wildlife, insects and birds
• rebuilds rural economy - create jobs while reducing the use of fossil fuels
• strengthens the local economy - money will circulate among locally-owned businesses and local jobs will be protected
• advances local and global food security
• minimizes food transport distance, also known as food miles