Due north of New York City, Hawthorne Valley Farm grows vegetables, crafts products like bread and jam, and makes yogurt, milk, and cheese. It uses biodynamic farming, a famously rigorous method that goes “beyond organic” in its environmental considerations. Co-manager Spencer Fenniman calls the farm, mostly grass, a “photosynthesis factory.” His farm uses cover-cropping and composting, aiming to “build organic matter in soil,” he says. These are thoughtful farming methods that help protect the environment. Excellent news, seeing as the EPA says that agriculture causes 10 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Some farming methods, especially those used by larger farmers, deprioritize climate. They may employ monocropping, synthetic fertilizers, or animal concentration. Meanwhile, most smaller farms are far more considerate of the impact that farming has on the environment. If you are hoping to connect more with where your food comes from and how products are made, a great starting place is doing research on your favorite food brands and reading the labels on their packaging. And when buying from smaller suppliers, you can know your farmer by shopping at farmers’ markets, farm stands, and on-farm stores. Meeting your farmer allows you to learn, ask questions, and know that the apples are spray-free, or that the dairy cows grazed on pasture.
Eating Local Is Important, but Not for the Reasons You Think
There is a common misunderstanding that eating local is a major way to limit your carbon “food-print” by shortening food miles. Food miles refer to the distance food travels from source to consumption. Often, food travel thousands. Think of European imports, blueberries grown in South America, or Alaskan salmon. Fossil fuels power vehicles that transport food. Many folks believe that eating locally cuts these fuel-burning emissions, thereby lowering one’s carbon footprint. This may be true, but not to the extent people think. The reason? Eighty-three percent of food’s carbon footprint comes from production. For most foods, transportation makes up just 10 percent of emissions. “You want to reduce the carbon footprint of your food?” reads a One World Data report. “Focus on what you eat, not whether your food is local …What you eat is far more important than where your food traveled from.” Buying from local farmers brings clarity. “As a consumer, you get to learn a lot more about the food,” says Hannah Fuller, a communications associate at the Farmers Market Coalition. “By chatting at the market, you might be able to learn about what they’re doing and how they’re creating sustainable systems.” When buying directly from a farmer, you can ask about methods that limit climate impact and regenerate the land, and support those who use climate-friendly methods. A Rare.org report confirms that “changes at the level of individuals, household, and communities are of profoundly greater importance than most people realize.”
