Eat Local, Buy Local, Be Local

Hello everyone!

Welcome to the "Eat local, Buy local, Be local" section of Hi5 for Sustainability! I'm excited to be introducing some ideas (old and new alike) about eating and buying local! If you have any ideas for a future post, questions about this one or comments feel free to comment or email us at COM344.Hi5@gmail.com

What does it mean to buy local?

This term gets thrown around a lot but through these blog sections I really want to tackle the question of what it really means to buy and live locally. You would think that living on an island it would be simple to “live locally” but when it comes to food buying local isn’t always the simplest. I hope in this section of the blog to help ease any confusion about what it means to buy local and help everyone to live a more local life when it comes to purchasing products.

Buying local can be defined as so many different things but the basic idea is keeping what you are buying close to home. Buying local can start with keeping what you are buying like produce and other products in your community, slowly making the ring of area (as far as distance) you are purchasing from smaller.

It’s important to pay attention to where your products are coming from and whether or not they are something you can buy closer to home.

Buying local supports a more sustainable food system because true sustainability goes beyond the method used in food production to include every step that brings the food from the farm to your plate.

Why should WE buy local?

If the taste of fresh products or the idea of making a change in the environment isn’t enough to get you wanting to look into the buying of local products then maybe you should think about the possibility of improved health and supporting your neighbors, the people who know and understand the needs of your community first hand.

Buying local is the best way to keep food miles (which are the miles in which your food travels from its source to your table) to a minimum.

What can WE all be doing right now?

Challenging yourself to buy local products is something that you can start doing right now. Make a conscious effort to pay attention where your food is coming from. Check out the Farmers Markets and Flea Markets on the Big Island to find local products in your neighborhood!

Here is another website that can help make you aware of other local resources! It's called the Eat Well Guide: Saving the world one bite at a time. Search your local zip code for information.

Below is a Kyle Theirmann video. I really feel the connection between buying local and realizing the global effect of what you are doing where you are now. Kyle Theirmann's website Surfing For Change is something that we may come back to refer to. I encourage you to go through his site. It's amazing the impact that one person (maybe YOU or I)can make in the world!



Until next time I encourage you to Eat Local, Buy local, Be local! Aloha~