By Heidi Harrabi

Locavores are people who know where their food comes from and commit to eating local food as much as possible. How do you become one?

First, determine what local means for you. Many people start by trying to eat within a 100-mile radius from their homes. However, you can create a larger boundary and encompass an entire state or region. Becoming a locavore is not an all-or-nothing venture. Any step you take helps the environment, protects your family’s health and supports small farmers in your area.

Here are some reasons people choose to be locavores:

1. Eating local means more for the local economy.

2. Locally grown produce is fresher.

3. Local food just plain tastes better. Ever tried a tomato that was picked within 24 hours?

4. Locally grown fruits and vegetables have longer to ripen. Because the produce will be handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to be “rugged” or to stand up to the rigors of shipping.

5. Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic. In a March 2005 study by the journal Food Policy, it was found that the miles that organic food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic.

6. Buying local food keeps us in touch with the seasons. By eating with the seasons, we are eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.

7. Buying locally grown food is fodder for a wonderful story. Whether it’s the farmer who brings local apples to market or the baker who makes local bread, knowing part of the story about your food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.

8. Eating local protects us from bio-terrorism. Food with less distance to travel from farm to plate has less susceptibility to harmful contamination.

9. Local food translates to more variety. When a farmer is producing food that will not travel a long distance, will have a shorter shelf life, and does not have a high-yield demand, the farmer is free to try small crops of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a large supermarket.

10. Supporting local providers supports responsible land development. When you buy local, you give those with local open space — farms and pastures — an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.

The Market is open Mondays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Oak Park Mall, Thursdays from 3:30 to 6 p.m. downtown, First Street NE, just east of the Mower County Jail and Justice Center, and Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Oak Park Mall. All major credit cards and EBT accepted.

Locavore information adapted from: www.eatlocalchallenge.com