What can cut down on food miles?

Question

Food miles is how long your food had to travel in order to get into your super market. I have been searching how I can cut down on food miles, but nothing makes any sense. It will be a great help because my perants are wanting to go green and I think cutting down on food miles is their starting point.

So please can anyone give me advise on how to cut down on food miles, thanks.

Answer 1

First step is to move to an area where it is even possible to buy from local producers. That largely eliminates  any place in the middle of a big city.

It could be in a suburb where you could grow a lot of your own food.

But understand that a large city can not be fed from land within 50 km from everyone's home. New York city could barely be fed even from New York state.

There are also areas that are on land that has a high soil pH, which can produce some food, but if a human population lives on food from that land alone they will be nutritionally deprived. Some of their food must come from areas with  soil pH below 8.

Now you may discover that your local agricultural community is mostly into growing just a few crops to serve a much wider geographic market, rather than growing many crops to serve a local market. That is rather widespread.

I would not think of returning to producing for a local market mostly because local markets are totally fickle, they do not have any loyalty at all, Will not plan needs 2 years in advance to allow for crop planning.

It is all well and good to propose that people restructure the way food is produced by buying local, but we live with big supermarket chains that have no intention of making that feasible.

But lots of luck.

Answer 2

To cut down on food miles it's important to grow your own veges, kill own poultry (and meat in general), dry and preserve own food produce when it's no longer in season in your area and only buy food that's only been grown locally....if it's outa season in your area or it doesn't grow in your area....don't buy it in the supermarket.....the supermarket will have transported it a long distance for your benefit and to the detriment of the environment.

Answer 3

Start by buying local produce from farms and farmers markets near to you. OK, the prices, in some cases, might be slightly higher, but we have found that the quality and freshness of the produce is a lot better. In addition, you know you are helping the local economy instead of putting money into already mega profit making supermarket chains.

Answer 4

I'm a small farmer, and live on a permaculture farm.

You need to learn what foods are in season, in your local area.  

Unless you live in a warm climate, there is virtually nothing fresh in season at the moment.  My farm is currently under a two foot blanket of snow.

You need to buy at farmers markets.

If no farmers market, you need to make friends with a local small farmer, and purchase from them.  It probably means buying most of your fresh items once a week.

If you eat meat, you need to find a local small farmer who raises meat animals you want to eat, and purchase from them.  If your family only enjoys eating the larger meat animals, like beef, or pork, it means getting a freezer, so you can store the meat from the animal once you purchase it.  It also means learning to cook with ALL of the cuts of meat, not just your favorite ones.

You need to learn to store and preserve your foods for the off season, when they are not available.  

If you have a yard of any sort, you can start to grow some of your own food.  Start small and easy at first, so you do not become discouraged.  Every year plant at least one perminant food item.  Like an apple tree one year (will produce for 50 years), and an asparugus patch the next year (will produce for 25-30 years).

Grow one or two easy vegtables your family actually likes.  Some plants, like tomatoes grow in containers very nicely.  It will also teach you things.  If you plant your tomatoes in April, and they finally start to produce fruit 90 days later, in July, you will realize those tomatoes you see in the grocery store are coming from a long ways away.  

If you start planting and growing your own foods, learn about making houses for our native orchard mason bees, to pollinate your foods, and produce a larger crop for you.

Learn what foods you can plant in your local area that will replace foods you no longer purchase from the grocery store, AND THE VITAMINS THOSE FOODS USE TO PROVIDE.  

Everyone know oranges have a lot of Vitamin C.  Bannanas have a lot of potasium.  Both, Vitamin C, and potasium are extremely important for human health.  Did you know there is a cold hardy kiwi fruit that produces more Vitamin C than oranges, and more potasium than bannanas?  

Even if your yard is small, learning to compost and promote more worms will help your soil, and the yeilds you get from your garden.

Good luck on your venture.  It's well worth the effort.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 5

I live in a big city. We grow our own veggies in containers on a small lot. We are also joining a co-op with other city-folk, some of whom have chickens for eggs.

We also went vegetarian.

Answer 6

Start by growing as much of your own food as possible, even if it means taking on an allotment.  You'd be surprised what you can grow in a small garden or even containers on the patio.

What cannot be home grown can be sourced from local farmers, markets, stalls, butchers etc.

Some supermarkets supply locally grown produce.

Eating habits may need to be changed.

Answer 7

change food habits first

Answer 8

Find your nearest farmer's market and buy stuff from there as much as possible.

Answer 9

cutting down on food miles means buying local produce from loca farmers markets, it has less distance to travel causing less carbon emissions