Join the Growing Community of Locavores

Just how do locavores (also known as localvores) come about?

If you're new to the concept, there are some easy steps to becoming one. You don't need to work that hard, even.

The local food movement has gained momentum, so no matter where you live, you'll likely be able to find local sources for at least some of your foods.

Here's how to get started.

11 Ways to Make Your Family Locavores

1. First, you can do a quick check online at websites like EatWild.com , the USDA Farmers' Market Listings and LocalHarvest.org. There you will find everything from farms to CSAs to farmers' markets, groceries and even restaurants that offer locally produced foods.
2. Next, visit a farmers' market and see what's available and what's in season. Chat with the vendors at the booths to see what they offer throughout the year. Many of them will have brochures or price lists of their products, and will be happy to try to help you find the foods you want. The bonus? Nearly all the money you pay to the farmer gets to stay in his pocket, not be parceled out to middlemen and wholesalers.
3. Rather than leaping in with all local foods immediately, choose three to five foods you know you can get locally and commit to getting those only locally for as much of the year as possible. You can add more items as you get used to shopping this way, until much of your food is locally raised. For instance, apples, most root vegetables, herbs, lettuce and other greens can be grown nearly anywhere. Meats, poultry, eggs and dairy products can also often be found locally produced.
4. See if there is a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) group. If there is, become one of their locavores by signing up. You'll be investing in a local farm, helping them stay in business, and getting fresh foods regularly, all at once.
5. Visit your local grocery, whether it's a natural foods store or chain grocery. Talk to the manager about where their foods come from and ask them to buy locally whenever possible. Good store managers will do their best to accommodate your wishes. If the chain stores balk, try creating a petition and having as many people as possible from your community sign it.
6. Once you're started, buy foods you can preserve in bulk and freeze or can them for winter use. This way, you're still eating local, even when some foods are out of season. You can also get familiar with which foods are in season and stick as much to those as possible throughout the year.
7. When you go out to eat, try to choose restaurants that are "locavores", too. Local farms like to provide foods for local restaurants, and those restaurants usually make it known they use local foods.
8. If you can't find as many local foods as you'd like, try local vendors for breads, jams, or other foods produced locally, even if not grown locally. You'll still be supporting your local businesses and boosting the economy of your community.
9. Visit the farms around you. Many small farms are pleased to give tours of their gardens and livestock areas, showing you just how your locally raised foods are grown. Call and make an appointment to see why they choose to grow what they do, and how they manage their growing schedule and marketing. It will make a closer connection between you and the foods on your table.
10. Forgive yourself if you can't find all the things you want on your table locally. Just try to find sources as close to you as possible for these items, too.
11. Become "10-steps-away" local: plant a garden. No room? Try tomatoes in large pots on a deck or in a sunny spot in your yard. Herbs, and many vegetables grow well in containers, so having a small yard is no excuse. This will also help you appreciate the efforts of your local farmers. For more on really easy planting in containers, read this Mother Earth News article.

Finally, don't feel you need to do all of these things at once. Locavores aren't always made overnight. It may take a few months to remember to buy local whenever possible, even eating out. But once you've made it a habit, you can be a locavore for life. Your health and your community - both local and global - will thank you.

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